The Circus is comingGet tickets now for September 20 shows

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN LG‘What’s Happening’ is a Free Newsletter

Provided by the Locust Grove Arts Alliance

No. 49: September 2018

The Culpepper &Merriweather Circus is com-ing to Locust Grove on Sep-tember 20. Two shows willbe performed under an old-fashioned Big Top located atthe middle school playingfield.

The shows will take placeat 5 and 7:30 p.m. Also, atent-raising will take placethat morning at 10 a.m., andpeople are invited to comeout and participate and watchthat happen.

The Culpepper &Merriweather Circus, head-

quartered in Hugo, Okla-homa, travels the whole U.S.putting on a tented, one-ringcircus with no seat fartherthan 40 feet away from thering.

After the tent is set up, themidway is open, and if

weather permits, there arepony rides, a 22 ft. inflatableslide and a colorful carouselmoonbounce.

A concession stand willoffer all favorite circus treatsincluding popcorn, cottoncandy, peanuts, Coke prod-ucts, nachos, hotdogs andsnow cones.

The 90-minute circus haslots of classic and unique cir-cus acts, including trapeze,unicycles, big cats, contor-tion, tight wire, clowns, per-forming animals, and much

REIGNING DESTRUCTION . . . This photo would be beauti-ful if it wasn’t so tragic. DJ’s Diner (green building) was oneof the most iconic in the town of Locust Grove, and it broughthungry visitors from all over to experience its tasty burgers,fries and onion rings. Owner Marcia Weaver Payne has vowedthat DJ’s will come back. She said in a post on facebook, “. . .know that your support, kindness, and efforts mean more thanyou know. Thank you to the townspeople for the hugs and tothe 8 different fire departments who worked so hard to saveour diner. This town is the most wonderful place in the world,and its people are the most sincere, helpful, supportive bunchof kind folks anywhere,” and then she added “We’ll be back!”

--Photo by Roxann Perkins Yates

(Continues on Page 2)

Benefit set for DJ’s DinerOn Monday, Aug. 27, a

fire that began in the oldPhillips Lounge buildingstarted, spread to the nextabandoned building and thendestroyed DJ’s Diner. Thisbusiness that Marcia WeaverPayne had owned for 23years disappeared in a mat-ter of hours.

A benefit to supportMarcia and her staff so theycan assess their next movewill be held Sunday, Sept. 16,from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.at the LG Upper Elementary

School.Activities will include

lunch from 11:30-2:30, a si-lent auction, live auction at3:00, and dinner from 5:00-

6:30 p.m. There will be livemusic on a stage outside, sopeople are encouraged tobring lawn chairs to listen tothe music.

Donations can bedropped off at the LG FuneralHome or Cowboys.

Contact Shawn Bates atthe LG Funeral Home at 918-479-8161 or Vickie Herr atCowboys, 918-598-3141, formore information. For infor-mation about the live music,contact Chris Taylor at 918-864-1186.

FRIEND SUPPORT . . . JerryHolman offers a hand toMarcia Payne the day of thefire. -- Photo by Sara VanHorn

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTENEven though the building is gone,Marcia Weaver Payne says thebusiness will be back.

Page 2 What’s Happening in LG September 2018

-Circus Sept. 20-(Continued from Page 1)ONCE UPON A TIME

EDITOR’S NOTE: While this newsletter is producedby the LGAA and will contain that organization’s news,we also want to publish information about any activitiesin Locust Grove that our community might be interestedin.

If you have news on LG events, places, or people, orwant to place an ad in the newsletter, please contact BettyPerkins at blperkins@sstelco.com or 918-479-5617 (leavea message if no answer). The newsletter can also beviewed at lgartsalliance.com. As LGAA is a nonprofitorganization and the newsletter is provided free to every-one, advertising must support the publication of thisnewsletter. Your support is greatly appreciated.

About What’s Happening in LG

IN 1912 . . . The Locust Grove Train Depot, shown in the back-ground, signaled the birth of the town. Locust Grove sprang upwith the arrival of the train to the area. Mark, which was 2miles west of town, closed its doors and moved to the railroadtoo. The dray wagon (above) is loading just arrived produce.

more.Advance tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children 2-

12 years-old and adults 65+. Tickets can also be purchasedby calling 1-866-BIGTOP-6 during regular business hours.

On circus day, the tickets can be purchased at the gate for$13 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. There is nocharge for children under the age of 2. The circus box officeopens one hour before the show.

A portion of the advance sales tickets will benefit the LGChamber, and tickets are on sale in town at the Bank of Lo-cust Grove, Builder’s Wholesale, Cowboys, LG Tag Office,Wonder City Coffee and by calling Sandy Burford at 373-4247.

Kids 11 and under can color a clown for a contest to winprizes. The coloring pages can be downloaded from theChamber website at LocustGroveOklahoma.com or they canbe picked up at Builder’s Wholesale.

5746 E. 412 Hwy.Locust Grove, OK

918-530-1335OPEN:Monday-Friday11 a.m. - 7 p.m.Saturday10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

We sell vapor products,CBD, kratom, body jewelry

Rowland’sQuick Shop

“Your HometownConvenience Store”

Open: 4 a.m.-10 p.m.

Smoked BolognaPulled Pork

409 E. Main Street Locust Grove, OK 74352918-479-8020

www.mainstreetdentalok.com

facebook.com/mainstreetdentallocustgrove

Turner’s Laundry&

Stash & Dash Mini Storage

105 N. Wyandotte -- West Edge of Locust Grove918-479-5759 or 918-479-5296

Lighted, Fenced & Video SurveillanceOwner: Movita Turner

September 2018 What’s Happening in LG Page 3

Librarian attends OKC workshop

OPEN: 5 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday

I recently attended anidentifying and dating oldphotos workshop at the Okla-homa History Center spon-sored by the Oklahoma De-partment of Libraries. Theclass was taught by ChesterCowen, the history center’sPhotographic ArchivistEmeritus.

Mr. Cowen revealedseveral clues to identifyingand dating old photos. A fewof those clues are the type ofphotograph and technologyprocess that was used, thephoto’s size, the fashion,clothing and accessories ofthe time and much more. For-tunately, the hard work hasbeen done for us and there aremany resources available tohelp solve our photo myster-ies.

One excellent resourceare the Kwik Guide series ofbooks written by Gary W.Clark. These books are agreat place to start with the

identification and dating pro-cess. 4 of his books have re-cently been added to the li-brary genealogy collection.

· Cased Images & Tin-types Kwik Guide: A Guideto Identifying and DatingDaguerreotypes, Ambro-types, and Tintypes

· 19th Cerntury CardPhotos KwikGuide: A Step-by-Step Guide to Identifyingand Dating Cartes de Visiteand Cabinet Cards

· Real Photo PostcardsKwik Guide: A Guide toIdentying and Dating RealPhoto Postcards of the 20th

Century· 20th Century Photo-

graphs Kwik Guide: A Step-by-Step Guide to Identigying

and Dating Vintage Photosfrom 1900 to 1950

As a photographer andlibrarian, I’m intrigued by thehistory of photography. It’simportant to archive old pho-tographs as well as sharethem. One of the best waysto do that is through identifi-cation and digitization. Oncethey are digitized, they can beshared with everyone eitherelectronically or a new photocan be printed. In most casesbetter than the original.

If you’re lucky enoughto have old photos in yourfamily and need help datingthem, bring them to the li-brary. I would love to helpyou get started preservingyour past.--Librarian Marea Breedlove

Preserving the past. . .

MISS PRYOR Sydney Grass, standing, visits with her grandfa-ther, Ray Grass, right, at a book signing for Shaun Perkins’latest publication, The Book With the Broken Locket. Ray cre-ated illustrations which are located throughout the book.

Page 4 What’s Happening in LG September 2018

LGHS students to display artin Sept./Oct. at LGAA Gallery

Two local students inhigh school art teacherShaney O’Dell’s class will befeatured in the Locust GroveArts Alliance Gallery onMain Street in the nextmonths.

Mackenzie Newton, asenior, is the daughter ofJamie and Robert Harrell.Her artwork is shown below.

“I’m still trying to fig-

ure out exactly what I wantto do after graduation, but Iknow I hope to work on somefreelance art and maybe docharacter concept art forvideo games and cartoons,”Mackenzie said.

Brianna Loffer, also asenior, is the daughter ofMindy Witt and WilliamLoffer.

O’Dell said that

Brianna had been doingcome commission art workand selling it this summer.

Brianna’s artwork in-cludes the mermaid and theowl.

“My artwork is mostlywatercolors, acrylics, coloredpencils and oil pastels,”Brianna said. “I create a littlebit of everything from por-traits to animals.”

BRIANNA LOFFER’Sart includes the owlabove and the mermaidat left. Her art will be fea-tured during the monthof September at the Lo-cust Grove ArtsAlliance’s Gallery onMain Street. More of herart will be featured in theexhibit, including workin different media -- wa-tercolors, acrylics, col-ored pencils and oil pas-tels.

MACKENZIE NEWTON’S art includes the three drawings above. Her art will be featured in aexhibit at the Locust Grove Arts Alliance Gallery during October. Mackenzie says she hopes towork in freelance art following graduation. Shes adds she wants to do character concept art forvideo games and cartoons.

•Gift Items•Groceries•Snacks•Hardware•Paint•Roofing

New Building Complete!

More Lumber Supplies!

5225 E. Hwy. 412918-479-4224

September 2018 What’s Happening in LG Page 5

Pryor arts councilshow Oct. 1-12

By John CodayAfter moving in with my aunt and uncle in Kansas City, I

spent the first week checking out different places in the city;then, I started going places just soI could get out of the apartment andkeep myself busy.

A c t i v i t y picked up from zeroto 100 when ori- entation started atthe Kansas City Art Institute. Itstarted on Aug. 16 when studentsmoved into the dorms. I helpedeven though I was going to be liv-ing off campus.

Orientation continued on Friday through Sunday, as stu-dents met people and got familiar with the campus. I’ve metseveral people and have made a small group of friends al-ready, as well as getting to know my professors.

I’m looking forward to a great year.Editor’s Note: John is the son of Mark and Sarah Coday

and is just beginning college classes. He was the 2017 re-cipient of the LG Arts Alliance Student Scholarship.

Coday begins classes

The 30th Annual NortheastOklahoma Area Artist Showsponsored by the Pryor AreaArts and Humanities Coun-cil will run from Oct. 1 toOct. 12 at the Graham Ban-quet Hall in Pryor.

Gary Moeller, a retiredprofessor of Art, Communi-cations, and Fine Arts atRogers State University willbe the 2018 guest judge.

Categories include: paint-ing, graphics, sculpture, ce-ramics, and photography inprofessional, adult, student(grades 7-12) and junior(grades pre-k-6) divisions.

Fees for entries of as manyas three works include: pro-fessional $40, adult $30, stu-dent $15, and junior $5.

The Best of Show awardis $1,000. First, second, thirdplace winners in each divi-sion will win cash prizes.

The Bill and Traci RabbitAward, Doc Wilson Memo-rial Award, and People’sChoice Award will be givento selected artists for theirworks.

Delivery of artwork is setfor Sept. 28 from 3 to 7 p.m.and Sept. 29 from 8 to 11 a.m.More details and entry formscan be found atwww.pryorarts.com.

$50 TEACHER PRIZE . .One of the $50 grants pro-vided to teachers by the Lo-cust Grove Chamber ofCommervce went to DiannaStokes who sent a picture ofthe items she bought for hercomputer classes, alongwith a letter of thanks.

Chamber receives letter of thanksDear Ms. Collette and

Chamber of Commerce Mem-bers: Thank you again for theprizes you made possible forthe teachers at the beginning ofthe school year. I was one ofthe fortunate ones who re-ceived one of the $50 prizes.

I think that I heard or readthat I was supposed to send youa picture of the items that Ibought with my winnings. At-

tached is a picture of the thingsI purchased. I teach the com-puter classes and do a lot ofmultimedia things, so my pur-chases may seem strange for aclassroom These are things thatI use a lot and am always hav-ing to purchase. So, thanks forthe help with the expense thistime. It is much appreciated.

Signed by Dianna Stokes,Technology Instructor

Cruise & Crawl setThe Locust Grove

Chamber of Commerce isplanning the return of theScenic 412 Cruise & Crawlon Oct. 13, a Saturday.

Plans are being formu-lated at press time, but there

will be yard sales, vendors,entertainment and cars.

Mark your calendars,and “like” Locust GroveChamber on Facebook to getthe details as they becomeavailable.

More information andforms will be available at theChamber’s website atLocustGroveOklahoma.com.

BLACK DRUGCompounding Pharmacy

412 East Main Street

Kevin Black, D. Ph.

Pharmacist

blackdrg@sstelco.com

P.O. Box 669

Locust Grove, OK

74352

918-479-5223918-479-6510 fax

Page 6 What’s Happening in LG September 2018

“A Community Bank With Roots, Not Branches”

Established 1949

Online Banking: www.banklg.comVoice Banking: 1-877-479-5225

Phone: 918-479-5225FAX: 918-479-8787

Member FDIC

THE MURAL WALLSTANDS ALONE, and thenthe destruction begins. Afterthe fire on Aug. 27, people hadhoped the mural wall would besaved, but the unsupportedwall was brought down forsafety reasons, and today re-mains a part of the rubble withthe rest of the buildings lost.At far right, O.W. Killam, forwhom the town is named as itsfounder, holds the youngestLocust Grove citizen duringhis visit to town in 1953. Su-san Rena Coffey was one weekold. That photo was providedby Mary Bell, and the muralwall photos are by RoxannYates.

FLAG POLE at the VFW Postgot a face lift last week whenfive members and one volun-teer put a bright silver shine onit. Helping were GrantMennecke and Steve Cole,shown above, and Josh Butler,Gerald Lacey, Chuck Allen,and volunteer, Shawn Will-iams.

Locust Grove Animal Clinic

707 E. Main StreetLocust Grove, OK 74352918-479-5496918-479-8543 FAXDavid Fleming, DVMlganimalclinic@gmail.com

Office Hours:Mon.-Fri.

7:30 am- 5:30 pmSat. 8-Noon

Rural OklahomaMuseum of Poetry

6603 S. 438 - Locust Grove

Visit us atrompoetry.com

September 2018 What’s Happening in LG Page 7

First Bank724 E. Main St.P.O. Box 250

Locust Grove, OK 74352

T (918) 479-5001 F (918) 479-8036

Member FDICWilliams Agency

Brenda Williams

(918) 479-1800(918) 479-1801 FAX

Locust Grove Tag Agency216 E. Main St./PO Box 1213

Locust Grove, OK 74352

email:lgtag@sstelco.com

WHERE IT ALL STARTED. . . The Aug. 27 fire in down-town Locust Grove apparently statrted in the deserted and di-lapidated Phillips Lounge. From there, it spread to a desertedbuilding in front of it on Main Street, and then into DJs Diner.All three buildings are complete losses and are now just a pileof rubble.

-- Photo by Roxann Perkins Yates

DJ’S GANG . . .Standing in front of Junk Justified, Marcia Weaver Payne, second from left, andher employees gather to regroup after the fire. From left are Kathryn “Fred” Laird, Payne,Stephanie Romero, Kellie Woods, Laura Clark and Karlee Weaver. Not pictured are JoannePayne and Rita Weaver. -- Photo by Jenny Close

Page 8 What’s Happening in LG September 2018

ROMP RummageStore, which lost its entireinventory in the recent firedowntown, is a nonprofit501c3 charity thrift store thatbenefits the work, upkeepand programs of the RuralOklahoma Museum of Po-etry.

ROMP provides cashprizes for several poetry con-tests each year, conducts freepoetry programs and work-shops, maintains and updatesthe museum exhibits, runs apoet’s retreat, and managesthe rummage store.

“The museum’s mis-sion is to provide everyonewith an experience of po-etry,” said Shaun Perkins,who manages the store andis curator of the museum.“The rummage store’s mis-sion is to help pay for themuseum’s work and also pro-vide the community with in-expensive and useful useditems, she added.

Because of the generoustime that LG volunteers putinto helping director ShaunPerkins, the store’s smokeand water-damaged inven-tory was quickly cleared outin one day.

LG folks helping outincluded Sandy Burford,Barbara and Kenny Smith,Mark Palmer, Virginia andMike Bayless and Dovie,Tara Cook, Marcia WeaverPayne and Joanne Payne,Stephanie Romero, Jenniferand Jayce Henson, ConnieArnold, Bill Guthrie and Rob

Nick Van Horn to play Sept. 7The Wonder City wants DJ’s Diner to

rebuild. Fundraisers and events are in play. Allkinds of people are raisingmoney for this to help make ithappen.

On Sept. 7, talented youngmusician Nick Van Horn willbe playing at Wonder City Cof-fee, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. andwill donate all of his tips toDJ’s. Come out and be enter-tained and see what this youngman is up to and help a greatcause.

Juice Box Jams will be back, probablywith Shaun Perkins still filling in for Sarah

Spurrier (who had her twins—yeah!!) onSept. 10, at 10:30 a.m. Get all your pre-

schoolers down to the coffeeshop for Poky Little Puppy andsome other fun nonsense.

The coffee shop will beclosed Sept. 15-22 for thePerkins family annual vaca-tion.

On Sept. 28, LizzieDiPriest, who calls her musi-cal act the Midnight Essentials,will be performing on the cof-

fee shop stage. Lizzie is from Tahlequah andwill be making her debut performance onthis Friday night from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

September Wonder City Coffee events listed

ROMP Rummage Store closes after fire; will returnRose, Todd Perkins, BlakeWallace and Jerry Ingram.

Anchor-Stone, a Tulsacompany that providescrushed limestone and sand-stone products, whichPerkins used to work for as atruck dispatcher, donatedsome funds that will also paybills and help with the loss ofincome over the next fewmonths.

The building ownerJerry Ingram will be makingceiling tile, electrical andother repairs to the smokeand water-damaged building,while the store is vacant.

“ROMP Rummage willre-open, probably sometimethis fall, benefitted by gener-ous donations from MarciaWeaver Payne,” Perkins said.

Payne, whose diner wasdestroyed, plans to restockthe ROMP Rummage Storewith inventory she had ac-

quired over the last year.“After the loss of her

entire business, for Marcia tobe thinking of my store at thistime is just amazing,”Perkins said. “There are no

words for how awesome thisgesture is and how much itis appreciated.”

Anyone who would liketo donate to the store, pleasekeep the donations until the

building has been repaired.Contact Shaunat rompoetry@gmail.com or918-864-9152, or for moreinformation about the mu-seum, visit ROMPoetry.com.