images muskogee, ok: 2010
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Surrounded by rivers, lakes, gardens and woodlands, Muskogee offers a host of reasons to get outside and play. The northeastern Oklahoma city, about 50 miles southeast of Tulsa and 50 miles west of the Oklahoma-Arkansas border, is home to two city school districts, several colleges and two hospitals, including the first hospital in the nation designed to earn EPA’s Energy Star for superior energy performance. With numerous arts centers, historical sites and museums – including the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame – it's no wonder so many residents are proud to be an Okie from Muskogee.TRANSCRIPT
Best BudsAzalean reasons to enjoy spring
ROLLING IN THE DOUGHEateries make a living with fresh-baked fare
WORKING WONDERSHigher ed programs develop world-class workforce
Music hall of fame video hosted by American Idol
contestant
What’s Online
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2010 EDITION | VOLUME 5
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA
®®®
MUSKOGEE BUSINESS 22 Green Country Gets Greener
Eco-conscious initiatives grow to become a community hallmark.
24 Biz Briefs
25 Chamber Report
26 Economic Profi le
DEPARTMENTS
6 Almanac: a colorful sampling of Muskogee’s culture
18 Portfolio: people, places and events that defi ne Muskogee
29 Sports & Recreation
30 Health & Wellness
31 Community Profi le: facts, stats and important numbers to know
CONTENTS
FEATURES
10 ROLLING IN THE DOUGHMuskogee eateries make a living with fresh-baked fare.
14 THE SOUNDS OF MUSKOGEECity celebrates music history while cultivating the next generation of performers.
16 WORKING WONDERSHigher education programs develop a world-class workforce.
18 ONE FOR THE BOOKSMuskogee mayor challenges the city to read.
27 GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKEConsortium brings together public schools, private schools and higher education.
28 BEST BUDSThe month-long Azalea Festival springs Muskogee into action.
ON THE COVER Azaleas at Honor Heights Park Photo by Antony Boshier
5thanniversary
issue
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 3
What’s Online Onlnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
PICTURE PERFECT
VIDEOS
FACTS & STATS
RELOCATION
In our Interactive section, watch quick videos by our editors and photographers featuring people, places and events.
ABOUT THIS MAGAZINEImages gives readers a taste of what makes Muskogee tick – from business and education to sports, health care and the arts.
Go online to learn
even more about:
Schools•
Health care•
Utilities•
Parks•
Taxes•
We’ve added even more of our prize-winning photography to the online gallery. To see these photos, click on Photo Gallery.
Considering a move to this
community? We can help. Use our
Relocation Tools to discover tips,
including how to make your move
green, advice about moving pets
and help with booking movers.
“Find the good – and praise it.” – Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder
LOCAL FLAVORFrom the simple to the sublime, the delicious offerings here are guaranteed to satisfy every appetite.
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4 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
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SENIOR EDITOR JESSY YANCEY
COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS
ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, SUSAN CHAPPELL
STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SHARON H. FITZGERALD,
MICHAELA JACKSON, LEANNE LIBBY
DATA MANAGER CHANDRA BRADSHAW
INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER COLIN WRIGHT
SALES SUPPORT MANAGER CINDY HALL
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN McCORD
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS,
TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER,
IAN CURCIO, J. KYLE KEENER
PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT MANAGER ANNE WHITLOW
CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS
ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN
PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS
MELISSA BRACEWELL, KATIE MIDDENDORF, JILL WYATT
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER,
KRIS SEXTON, CANDICE SWEET, VIKKI WILLIAMS
LEAD DESIGNER ALISON HUNTER
GRAPHIC DESIGN ERICA HINES, JESSICA MANNER,
JANINE MARYLAND, AMY NELSON, MARCUS SNYDER
WEB IMPLEMENTATION DIRECTOR ANDY HARTLEY
WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR FRANCO SCARAMUZZA
WEB CONTENT MANAGER JOHN HOOD
WEB PROJECT MANAGER YAMEL RUIZ
WEB DESIGN CARL SCHULZ
WEB PRODUCTION JENNIFER GRAVES
COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN TWILA ALLEN
AD TRAFFIC MARCIA MILLAR,
PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY
CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN
PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN
SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER
SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN
SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER
V.P./SALES HERB HARPER
V.P./SALES TODD POTTER
V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER
V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS
V.P./CUSTOM PUBLISHING KIM NEWSOM
MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS BILL McMEEKIN
MANAGING EDITOR/COMMUNITY KIM MADLOM
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS
PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO
CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY
ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN,
MARIA McFARLAND, LISA OWENS
RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY SIMPSON
DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR YANCEY TURTURICE
IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE
SALES SUPPORT RACHAEL GOLDSBERRY
SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN
OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM
RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP
C U S TO M M A G A Z I N E M E D I A
Images Muskogee is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:Greater Muskogee Area Chamber
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Phone: (918) 682-2401 • Fax: (918) 682-2403www.muskogeechamber.org
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MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 5
Field of DreamsHatbox Field was a historic
Muskogee airport that once
welcomed the likes of pilots such
as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia
Earhart. Today‚ the only flights that
occur there are when baseballs
and softballs take to the air.
Love-Hatbox Sports Complex
opened in the late 1990s on the
airfield grounds. The site includes
10 baseball fields‚ eight softball
diamonds‚ two full-size football
fields and a 13-field soccer area.
There’s also a skate park‚ the
3.1-mile Centennial Trail and the
popular River Country Family
Water Park.
On the average summer day‚ as
many as 3‚500 people are at the
120-acre sports complex.
What’s Online eExperience the energy of tournament time at Love Hatbox Sports Complex in a quick video at imagesmuskogee.com.
Amazing AccoladesRecently, Muskogee has received
quite a few pats on the back.
In 2008, the ACCRA Cost of Living
Index ranked the city as the fifth least
expensive in the entire country.
According to the study, the cost of
living here is 14.8 percent below the
national average. Muskogee rated
third lowest for transportation costs.
Speaking of travel, the American
Bus Association named Muskogee’s
Christmas Kingdom one of the top 100
events to visit in 2009. It was the only
Oklahoma event to make the list.
Tributes to TribesThe Five Civilized Tribes Museum
showcases the history and heritage of the Cherokee‚ Chickasaw‚ Choctaw‚ Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole nations. The historic Union Indian Agency Building, which dates to 1875, houses the museum.
In addition to its permanent collection, the museum has several major art shows a year, including an exhibition of student art, a competitive art show and Art Under the Oaks, which features an arts market and festival.
The museum store offers handmade American Indian handiwork such as beadwork‚ baskets‚ pottery and jewelry.
Go to the Interactive section of imagesmuskogee.com to see a quick video of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum.
What’s Online e
6 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
Almanac
Pass the PopcornGoodbye, Hollywood. Hello, Muskogee.
Film enthusiasts flock to the city for the
annual Bare Bones International Film &
Music Festival in April. The festival finished
its first decade in 2009, running for 11 days
at various downtown venues.
The action includes an opening
night reception, film screenings
and an awards gala.
The 11th annual
event hits the screens
April 15-25, 2010.
Crowning EventsVisit The Castle of Muskogee‚ and
you may think you’ve been transported
to medieval Europe.
Muskogee resident Jeff Hiller
originally built the 30‚000-square-foot
castle to house his fireworks business‚
but over the last 14 years it has become
better known as the site of the
Oklahoma Renaissance Festival.
Held every Saturday and Sunday
(and Memorial Day) in May‚ the Oklahoma
Renaissance Festival attracts more than
72‚000 people each year.
The Castle also hosts several other
annual events‚ including the Haunted
Castle Halloween Festival in October
and the drive-through Christmas
Kingdom‚ known as one of the largest
inflatable holiday displays in the world.
Support for VeteransAtten-hut. Muskogee is the only city its size to have a U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office.
The facility is one of the area’s largest employers. In 2008,
a national call center, which brought more than 100 jobs, was
added to help answer questions that veterans might have.
The regional office now employs more than 1,200 people.
The city is also home to the Jack C. Montgomery VA
Medical Center, which provides services to more than
44,000 veterans in eastern Oklahoma.
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 7
Drive one.
James Hodge Ford Lincoln & Mercury
918.682.1345 www.jameshodgefordlm.com
FULL SERVICE BODY SHOP PARTS & SERVICE DEALER
Lincoln dealers, come see why
of luxury and service
Come visit the home of service and satisfaction in eastern Oklahoma.
8 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
POPULATION (2008 ESTIMATE)Muskogee: 40,099
Within a 30-minute drive: 230,000
LOCATIONMuskogee is in northeastern
Oklahoma, about 50 miles southeast
of Tulsa and 50 miles west of the
Oklahoma-Arkansas state line.
BEGINNINGSMuskogee traces its origins back to
1872 when the Missouri-Kansas & Texas
Railroad became the first rail line to
cross Indian Territory. The town was
named for the Muscogee Creek tribe
that long inhabited the area.
FOR MORE INFORMATIONGreater Muskogee Area Chamber
of Commerce and Tourism
310 W. Broadway
P.O. Box 797
Muskogee, OK 77401
Phone: (918) 682-2401
Toll Free: (866) 381-6543
Fax: (918) 682-2403
www.muskogeechamber.org
Muskogee At A Glance
What’s Online Take a virtual tour of Muskogee, courtesy of our award-winning photographers, at imagesmuskogee.com.
e
Fast Facts The 101-year-old Griffin
Foods, a supplier of syrups, jellies and other condiments, is based in Muskogee.
Muskogee is home to the Oklahoma School for the Blind.
Northeastern State University celebrated its centennial in 2009.
The earliest record of a Girl Scout cookie sale is by Muskogee’s Mistletoe Troop, which sold cookies as a service project in 1917.
Muskogee is the birthplace of country music singer and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood.
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Muskogee
Retired War HeroOne of only 16 WWII submarines still in existence in the United States
can be found at Muskogee’s War Memorial Park.
The USS Batfish, known as The Champion Submarine-Killing Submarine of
WWII, ran seven patrols, mostly in the South Pacific. On part of the invasion
of Iwo Jima, it sank three Japanese submarines in 76 hours, a record that
still stands today. The sub earned a number of awards, including 10 Bronze
Stars, nine Battle Stars, four Silver Stars and a Navy Cross.
About 10,000 visitors tour the submarine each year.
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 9
Almanac
I f you’re hankering for some home-baked, made-from-scratch goodness, look no further than these Muskogee restaurants and bakeries, all of which make their
dough by making dough – and in some cases, batter. Just one thing, though: There’s no carb counting allowed.
For moist, chewy cookies made from a secret family recipe, Harmony House on South Seventh Street delivers the goods. “Our most popular cookie is the Lemon Crinkle, and the second-most popular is the Chocolate Crinkle,” says owner Beth Stacey, who started the restaurant with her mother and late grandmother 17 years ago. “Every day, we bake six different kinds of cookies, all from family recipes. We also bake cinnamon rolls, the dinner rolls that we serve, about 15 different kinds of pies, and special-order birthday and wedding cakes.”
You can find the recipe for Harmony House’s decadent chocolate chip pie – a customer favorite – along with recipes for its soups, salads, sandwiches and popular lunch specials in the Harmony House cookbook Stacey sells at her restaurant.
But the cookies? Uh-uh. You’ll have to visit Harmony House to get some more of those.
Miss Addie’s Café & Pub on West Broadway has a cookbook, too, and over the course of nearly 20 years in business, the restaurant’s
MUSKOGEE EATERIES MAKE A LIVING WITH
FRESH-BAKED FARE
STORY BY CAROL COWANPHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER
Amish Country Store and Fudge Factory2410 N. 32nd St.(918) 686-0243
Harmony House 208 S. 7th St.(918) 687-8653
Johnny V’s Ristorante & Pizzeria325 N. Main St.(918) 682-0900
Miss Addie’s Café & Pub821 W. Broadway St.(918) 682-1506
Twisted Joe’s501 N. Main St.(918) 687-5755
Where To Go
Rolling in
10 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
What’s Online eFind out what else is cooking in Muskogee in the Food section of imagesmuskogee.com.
theDough
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 11
customers have purchased 12,000 copies. “The cookbook contains 300 recipes, and you can try
every one of them at the restaurant – from salad dressings, entrées and casseroles to desserts,” says Toby Feickert, who owns Miss Addie’s with his wife, Bernadette.
In addition to its regular fare, Miss Addie’s has an extensive custom baking menu that includes pies, cakes, cheesecakes, fruit cobblers, cookies and a dozen different types of sweet breads, all baked on site from scratch.
“Our most popular dessert is our baked fudge, which is kind of creamy like fudge syrup on the bottom and regular fudge on top; it’s served with ice cream,” Feickert says. “Our most popular cakes are Hummingbird Cake – made with pineapple, banana, walnuts and pecans – and Italian Cream Cake – made with coconut and pecans. My personal favorite is our bread pudding with vanilla raisin sauce.”
Another local establishment gives its dough a twisted spin. Joe and Miriam Sommers fell in love with soft, fresh-baked pretzels when they lived in Philadelphia for a time. In fact, they loved them so much that when they moved back home to Muskogee, they started making their own. That was more than a decade ago, and since then, Twisted Joe’s hand-rolled soft pretzels have become a Muskogee staple.
Using recipes they created and perfected, the Sommers’ make the dough, roll the pretzels, and bake nine different varieties of their delicious treats.
“We have plain – with just butter and salt,” says Joe’s mother Barbara, who helps out at the store. “We also cut those up into nuggets and serve them with warm cheese, and we have sweet glazed nuggets and cinnamon-and-sugar nuggets. We do garlic pretzels and Parmesan pretzels; we roll hot dogs up in pretzel dough and bake them; we do little pretzel pizzas. And we make some with this sweet crunch topping made with pecans and brown sugar.”
Customers can find them all in Twisted Joe’s display window at the store in Arrowhead Mall. The establishment also has branched out to a second location in Oklahoma and another in Texas.
Over on Main Street, Johnny V’s Ristorante & Pizzeria makes its own garlic bread, rolls and pizza dough. The family-owned establishment prides itself on using the same recipes passed down for four generations, making very few changes over the years.
And you can find homemade breads, cheeses, fudge, pies, jams and jellies made by Amish artisans at the Amish Country Store and Fudge Factory on U.S. Highway 69 North.
12 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
From left: The hand-tossed Goodfella’s Pizza at Johnny V’s Ristorante & Pizzeria; Italian Cream Cake and a coffee from Miss Addie’s Tea Room
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 13
F rom rhythm and blues and bluegrass to symphony and jazz, Muskogee’s vibrant music scene is as distinctive as the Merle Haggard classic Okie From
Muskogee and as colorful as the 8-foot-tall fiberglass guitars displayed around town.
“I guess it’s in the water. All kinds of music are going on in Muskogee all the time, and that’s literally everything from the churches to the nightclubs. There’s always a place to play,” says Max Boydstun, who approaches his presidency of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum as a labor of love. “I’ve been a banker forever, but music’s my passion. I started playing music in this town when I was 14 years old, and I’m 59 now. I don’t play professionally anymore, but there are still some young guys out there doing the same thing I was back in the ’60s.”
And they’re doing it in venues such as Jasper’s Saddle Club, Johnny V’s Loft and Max’s Garage. Describing itself as an “Automotive Honky Tonk,” Max’s Garage was launched in an old Goodyear tire store and today is a restaurant and music complex featuring four stages and room to dance.
Harley Hamm Jr. has certainly done his share of performing at Max’s. A singer and lead guitar and bass player, Hamm is associated with six bands in the area, including the R&B group Full Flava Kings and The Funky Mothers. “There’s a lot of great talent out of Muskogee,” he says. “The older talent really sticks together.”
A self-taught guitarist, Hamm teaches guitar
at Square Deal Music. Budding musicians in search of instruction also make their way to John Michael’s Music & Sound, where about 150 students take weekly classes in guitar, bass, drum, piano and voice.
John Michael Medeiros and his wife, Jan, founded the music shop in 1981. The store specializes in guitars, guitar amps and drums, and Medeiros designs and installs commercial sound and video systems. Thus, he’s turned over the events and promotions side of the business to his daughter, Raegan Medeiros, the spark plug behind Rock Camp.
Launched in 2008, Rock Camp is a five-day summer event for f ledgling rock stars ages 10-17. For $150, 12 students per week receive music instruction, attend classes on songwriting, stage presence and poster design, and learn to work together. Divided into two groups, the bands perform a Friday finale concert.
“It’s one of the coolest things we’ve ever done as a promotion,” Raegan says of the camp, which had a waiting list in 2009 and promises to be a huge hit in 2010. “Every year it gets bigger.”
Who knows? Some Rock Camp graduates may someday be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. That wouldn’t surprise Boydstun. “The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame is really to honor the past, present and future artists and musicians who relate to Oklahoma music. It covers all genres,” he says. “We’re very blessed in this state to have fertile ground for people in the arts and especially in music.”
CITY CELEBRATES MUSIC HISTORY WHILE CULTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION
STORY BY SHARON H. FITZGERALD
Some of the diverse musicians inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum:
Toby Keith
Cherokee National Youth Choir
Vince Gill
Woody Guthrie
Merle Haggard
All-American Rejects
Patti Page
Leon Russell
Gene Autry
Carrie Underwood
Singin’ in the Fame
SoundsThe
Muskogeeof
14 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
What’s Online eTour the Hall of Fame with American Idol contestant Colton Swon or listen to live music at Max’s Garage in two quick videos at imagesmuskogee.com.
STAFF PHOTO
IAN CURCIO
Clockwise from left: Harley Hamm Jr. performs with six area bands and teaches guitar lessons; Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum honors musicians past and present; Roxy Theatre frequently hosts live music.
ANTONY BOSHIER
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 15
HIGHER ED PROGRAMS ADVANCE WORLD-CLASS WORKFORCE
WorkingWonders
16 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
W hen it comes to workforce development, Muskogee means business. Residents of the city have a wealth of
choices to train for and advance their careers.At Connors State College, experience
meets intuition in an innovative program. The college now has ESP – the Education Stimulus Program. Effective in May 2009, qualifying residents who have lost their jobs may take up to nine tuition-free hours of classes to help them quickly return to the workforce.
Donnie Nero, the college’s president, says the program will remain active as long as there is a demand in the community. “We want to make sure we change, so we are providing a program our area’s employers need,” he says.
Initial enrollments included students in computer and child care classes, he says. Thanks to a partnership with Muskogee’s Workforce Oklahoma Board, students also may receive funding toward fees and books.
Elsewhere on campus, Nero says programs are seeing consistent increases reflective of growth in career fields such as nursing. He praised the strong relationship among the city’s education community, which continues to pave the way for students to have a seamless experience should they need to move from one campus to another to complete their studies.
Staying attuned to the business community’s needs remains critical, Nero says. “We want to work with our business partners to make sure we offer classes in occupations where there is a demand for jobs,” he says.
Muskogee’s practice of education and business partnerships has a clear economic benefit. “The majority of our students remain in the area and contribute to the local economy,” Nero says.
Residents wanting to develop or hone skills may turn to evening, weekend or online classes at Indian Capital Technology Center. Classes lasting eight to 12 weeks often feature instructors employed in the content area and involve extensive hands-on learning.
While the average student is a woman returning to school in her 30s and early 40s, the center is seeing increasing male enrollment, according to Lisa Benjamin, the center’s adult career development coordinator. Classes for health and medical careers are some of the fastest growing, she says. Indian Capital’s low
cost per clock hour, starting at $1.75, provides career-advancing training at a budget-friendly cost. “It’s a short investment of time and money,” Benjamin says.
By offering courses in the evening, during the weekend and online, residents can advance their careers while keeping their current job. Indian Capital also offers daytime programs in a wide range of industries, from culinary arts to heating and air conditioning maintenance.
The continuing-education nature of many of Indian Capital’s programs results in a swift, visible economic impact. “You immediately see people go back out in the community and apply their skills,” Benjamin says.
Northeastern State University also offers a variety of continuing education programs, with many targeted to enhance career skills, particularly with computers. Other Muskogee area career-focused educational facilities include Bacone College, which has a Division of Adult Education that caters to nontraditional students and offer many classes for degree programs off-campus, and Virgil’s Beauty College, a nationally accredited cosmetology school that has been training future beauticians for nearly 40 years.
STORY BY LEANNE LIBBY
Mani Shanmugamani teaches a computer usage course at Connors State College. A
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OS
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Bacone Collegewww.bacone.edu
Connors State Collegewww.connorsstate.edu
Indian Capital Technology Centerwww.ictctech.com
Northeastern State Universitywww.nsuok.edu
Virgil’s Beauty Collegewww.virgilsbeautycollege.com
More Insight
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 17
Muskogee Mayor John Tyler Hammons is 21 years old and
not long out of high school, yet he is still very connected to the public school system – and he has brought his constituents with him.
Hammons conceived the Mayor’s Reading Challenge in 2008 to urge parents to get more involved by reading the books their children are required to complete before graduating from Muskogee High School.
“I saw something in the paper about a Big Read initiative in Tahlequah that challenged citizens to read more, so I called one of my former teachers – Melanie Carey – along with Jan Bryant at the public library, to see if this could be accomplished in Muskogee,” Hammons says. “Sure enough, high
school students here are required to read 20 specific books from their freshman through senior years, so we prompted adults to read those same books as part of the Mayor’s Reading Challenge.”
The program began in September 2008 and lasted the entire academic year, finishing in May 2009, when the city sponsored an essay contest for adult participants to write about any of the books. The top three essay winners received cash prizes.
“The library really couldn’t keep track of how many people participated in the reading program, but I know that all 20 books were always checked out of the library throughout the year,” Hammons says. “Whenever someone returned a book, someone else
immediately snatched it up.”Books in the program included
Julius Caesar, The Grapes of Wrath, 1984 and The Tortilla Curtain.
“The Giver by Lois Lowry is my personal favorite, so to kick off the program, I posed for a promotional poster that depicts me reading The Giver,” Hammons says. “The message was basically that the mayor enjoys reading in his spare time, so maybe everyone else should give it a try, too.”
Muskogee Mayor John Tyler Hammons
What’s Online eMayor Hammons discusses the reading program he established in a quick video at imagesmuskogee.com.
One for the BooksMAYOR PROMOTES LITERACY WITH CITYWIDE READING CHALLENGE
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Portfolio
Arts of all mediums are center stage in Muskogee, and live
theater is certainly no exception.Muskogee Little Theatre, a
nonprofit artistic organization that bowed in 1972, presents its productions in the former Sequoyah Elementary School building at the corner of Cincinnati and D streets. The school cafeteria has been transformed into a staging area and the gold curtains that grace the stage are actually from the old Ritz Theatre in Muskogee that was demolished several years ago.
Muskogee Little Theatre struggled to survive during its early years, but in 1980 finally began scheduling a full season of performances with accompanying season ticket sales. Since then, several upgrades to the theater building have been made, including adding a painted mural on its west wall and creating basement dressing areas by digging out four feet of dirt underneath the stage.
Other recent improvements include installing a security system and adding central heating and air conditioning.
Each year, the troupe produces four to seven plays during a season that stretches from July to the
following June. The remainder of the current 2009-10 season includes productions of To Kill a Mockingbird from Oct. 16-24, 2009, The Foreigner from Feb. 12-20, 2010, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast from April 8-18, and Greater Tuna from May 21-29.
Then every June, Muskogee Little Theatre hosts the Milties Awards Ceremony to honor the just-completed season’s best director, actor, actress, character role, production and various
other awards. The theater troupe as a whole has garnered its own share of accolades over the years, including the 2006 Octavision Award that recognizes the Oklahoma community theater with the greatest vision of the future.
What’s more, in 2008 the Muskogee Little Theatre was named Oklahoma Theater of the Year.
The Muskogee ensemble consists of volunteer actors from throughout the community.
Little Theater, Big Performances
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 19
Welcome to Antique Country
The saying “everything old is new again” certainly rings true in Muskogee, where antiquing is a favorite
pastime among both residents and out-of-town visitors. And for good reason – the city is home to a collection of shops specializing in collectibles, from high-end to flea market offerings, earning the nickname Antique Country.
“A person could spend several days here and still not visit all of the antique stores that Muskogee has to offer,” says Sue Harris, president of the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. The Chamber office and Muskogee Tourist Information Center offer free copies of the Muskogee Shopping Guide, which details all of the town’s antique shops.
“Main Street is anchored by one of the oldest hardware stores in the country – Hoop’s Hardware – and then all the way up Main Street are unusual stores for people to do their antiquing at reasonable prices,” she says. “Those stores are very down to earth. They’re the kinds of places where you can discover that unusual
piece you’ve been looking for.”One such establishment is Peak’s Place, which is
actually a tack shop for cowboys as well as a gift and antique shop. “Owner Henry Peak is almost always on the premises to chat with the customers in his down-home style,” Harris says. “Peak’s Place is a fun adventure where customers can get a true flavor of Muskogee.”
Several larger businesses peddle their wares on U.S. Highway 69, including Old America Antique Mall, McClain Furniture and Scentury Marketplace.
“Muskogee is centrally located in the United States, so if you’re traveling from Texas to Branson [Mo.], as many do, you can come right down Highway 69 and visit dozens of fascinating shops right here in town,” Harris says.
If it’s grown or produced in Oklahoma, chances are you can find it at the
Muskogee Farmers Market. Debuting in 1995, the market
moved to its current location at Okie Square in April 2007. City leaders say the relocation to Okmulgee Street has contributed greatly to recent downtown revitalization efforts.
Nowadays, the Muskogee Farmers Market is bustling on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, and the downtown site has provided increased visibility for vendors. In addition to loads of fresh produce, patrons will find Amish baked goods, grass-fed beef, cut flowers, herbal soaps and soy candles.
Open from the third Saturday in April through October, the market also hosts special events such as Herb Fest, Grill Crazy, Harvest Festival and the Muskogee Salsa Tasting Contest.
But the vendors themselves are one of the more interesting aspects of market days.
“One of our vendors is a 90-year-old farmer – Durl Doyle – who drives in from Stilwell, hauling all of his produce to market in his own pickup truck,” says Doug Walton, manager of the Muskogee Farmers Market.
John and Pearla Shimack, owners of JPS Farms in Okay, are two more distinctive tenants. Pearla is originally from the Philippines, so the couple grows a variety of more unconventional produce such as bitter melons and Asian green beans.
“We also have a booth run by Maria Ledezma, nicknamed The Tamale Lady, who serves burritos, tortillas and authentic Mexican tamales that are still in their cornhusk wrappers,” Walton says. “In addition, the market features The Wine Guy – Rick Gibbens of Sailing Horse Vineyards in Eufaula – who produces wine with unusual names such as Red Tractor and Bo Peep. Rick does real well at the Muskogee market.”
Good to the Last Crop
Peak’s Place sells antiques and equestrian equipment. AN
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River Country Family Water Park
Creating Quite a Splash
River Country Family Water Park has been a refreshing summer
destination for Muskogee residents for 10 years.
The park was an instant hit when it opened in 2001 as part of the Love-Hatbox Sports Complex. The recreation destination sits on land that once housed an airport.
After the airfield was abandoned, the city of Muskogee decided to convert it into a sports complex, with the water park sitting in the middle of the 400-acre site. These days, about 800 people visit River Country each day during the warm-weather months.
Attractions there include two large water slides, a lazy river, swimming pools, a sandy beach and a Crawdad Corner with interactive spray features and slides for small children. A climbing wall is also available for an additional fee.
The pool attracts visitors from up to an hour away, in part because it is sized perfectly for families. It is large enough to satisfy all ages, though not too vast to worry moms and dads.
To celebrate its 10-year anniversary in June 2009, the water park hosted activities such as a fashion show, belly f lop contest and (toy) turtle race.
River Country also offers a variety of fundraising opportunities for local charities. The facility also offers summertime swimming lessons and aquatic fitness classes.
The water park is a major attraction throughout the region. City officials estimate that 50 percent of participants who use the facility come from outside of Muskogee within a 30-mile radius.
Only 120 acres of Love-Hatbox are currently being used today, and officials say that the remaining 280 acres are for the city to develop whenever the time is right.
– Stories by Kevin Litwin
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GreenerECO-CONSCIOUS INITIATIVES GROW TO
BECOME A COMMUNITY HALLMARK
GreenGetsCountry
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Business
N ortheastern Oklahoma is known as Green Country, and here in the foothills of the state, Muskogee is a green city any way you slice it.
The local government is aggressively promoting environmental responsibility on all fronts, and organizations from health-care providers to educational systems are supporting the efforts through targeted awareness programs and earth-friendly live/work practices.
Project Go Green, the city’s official save-the-planet measure, offers residents and businesses of Muskogee ideas and resources to make green the natural shade of day-to-day living. Recommendations range from cutting back on plastic by carrying reusable water containers to saving energy by washing clothes in cold water.
The community places a strong emphasis on instilling in young people the importance of a sustainable lifestyle, beginning with educational recycling programs in elementary school. The Go Green Initiative is a systemwide awareness and action program implemented in fall 2009 that organizers hope will both open students’ and teachers’ eyes to the need for change environmentally, as well as develop lifelong recycling habits. Plans include establishing an energy patrol, which will recruit students to inspect school buildings for opportunities to be more efficient, and the recycling of materials such as printer cartridges.
So far, the reception of and support for the program has been tremendous, says Wayne Johnson, director of maintenance and facilities for Muskogee Public Schools and chair of the Go Green Initiative committee.
“We’ve tried to do this before, and it was more of an uphill battle, but now I think society is changing. I think that’s one of the things that is great right now, because to have a Go Green Initiative, you can’t just have one or two
people. It has to be everybody involved, or at least a large majority involved,” Johnson says. “The awareness of our young people has really made a big difference. It used to be mostly teachers who had that awareness, but now it is a student-involved – and almost to the point of a student-led – initiative. ”
Northeastern State University is also on the crest of the sustainability movement. The school has established Green Notes, a program that offers students tips for green living and brings environmental awareness seminars to campus.
Another sector on the leading edge of Muskogee’s green transformation is health care. Muskogee Community Hospital, which opened in early 2009, is one of the nation’s most environmentally friendly medical facilities. The hospital is both LEED-certified and the first health-care facility to receive the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Award. According to the EPA, the hospital exceeds the energy efficiency standards for the year 2030.
Avant-garde green features include LED lights with 40,000-hour lives in operating rooms, cork flooring in patient waiting areas, low volatile organic compound paints and glues, and ground source geothermal heating and cooling. Roughly 77 percent of all trash, or more than 1 million pounds of would-be waste, was recycled during the construction of the building.
The facility is ahead of its time now, but when plans began a few years ago, the concept of an eco-friendly hospital was unheard of, says Mark Roberts, hospital president.
“When I first started talking about the fact that we were building a green hospital, people literally would say, ‘What color green?’” Roberts says. “But I don’t want to make it look like we’re geniuses, because it seems at some point, it’s just the right thing to do. And I don’t know who could argue the other side.”
STORY BY MICHAELA JACKSONPHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER
Left: Muskogee Community Hospital is energy efficient even in the operating room. Above: Muskogee Public Schools and the city of Muskogee each have established green initiatives to promote sustainable practices such as recycling.
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 23
BUSINESSES – BOTH LARGE AND SMALL – THAT HELP
DEFINE MUSKOGEE’S ECONOMIC CLIMATE
Biz BriefsScorecard
BUSINESS AT A GLANCE
$557,323Retail sales
($1,000)
$14,135Retail sales
per capita
$58,968Accommodations
and food service
sales ($1,000)
2,993Total number
of firms
Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts
O-IBiz: glass manufacturerBuzz: The largest producer of glass containers in the world, O-I makes bottles for Heinz ketchup and jars for Gerber baby food. The global corporation operates a plant in Muskogee that has been open since 1946 and employs more than 200 trained workers. The Muskogee facility also manufactures glass containers for companies such as Campbell’s‚ Pepsi and Prego.www.o-i.com
ARMSTRONG BANKBiz: family-owned bankBuzz: Founded in Vian in 1909, Armstrong Bank celebrates 100 years of service in 2009. The regional financial institution has two locations in Muskogee – one downtown on West Broadway and the other on the east side of town on Chandler Road. The bank prides itself on having a strong focus on the needs of the customer and community.www.armstrongbank.com
LAKELAND FLORISTBiz: f loral arrangements and giftsBuzz: Lakeland Florist opened in Muskogee 40 years ago in 1960. The flower shop is still family owned today. The business sells arrangements for any occasion, from formal events such as weddings to “just because.” The florist also offers container plants and a selection of gift baskets, including gourmet fruit and one designed for chocolate lovers.www.lakelandflorist.com
CREEK NATION CASINO – MUSCOGEEBiz: gambling destinationBuzz: Located on the south side of town, Creek Nation Casino opened in 1993 as a high-stakes bingo hall. Today, the attraction features more than 400 electronic gaming machines and also offers a variety of card games, including blackjack and Texas Hold’em.www.creeknationcasino.net
24 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
Business
T he Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism knows enthusiastic
residents often are an area’s best ambassadors. To that end, their leadership programs ensure residents have opportunities to get to know the region – and each other, to make a positive difference in Muskogee.
Youth Leadership Muskogee, designed for high school sophomores and juniors, includes a rigorous application process followed by leadership training and a comprehensive education about the community.
When students transition into a full-time career, they can join Muskogee Young Professionals, or MYPros, which began when two area young professionals realized they were blessed with a wealth of young workers but few opportunities for them to forge connections. The hope is that learning about the area early in their careers will help them build connections that encourage them to stay.
“MYPros provides opportunities for them to network and finds community projects for them,” says Sue Harris, president of the Chamber.
Harris says MYPros has experienced strong growth in recent years, with current membership around 250. In addition to spearheading their own events such as a recent football tournament, MYPros also volunteer at events for the Chamber, Harris says.
For adult leadership opportunities, the Chamber provides the Leadership Muskogee program.
“It’s an opportunity for individuals to connect with others and achieve a more dynamic setting in the local community,” says attorney Chad Locke, who went through the program in 2008. “You get an inside look at city government, county government and spend a day at the capitol. It’s an
eye-opening way to see that anybody can have access to government.”
Locke’s leadership classmates included a cross section of the community. Thanks to the class, he has colleagues he can call in areas ranging from the gas company to the library, media and state government.
“It’s another way to connect with people outside your usual social circle,” he says.
Each leadership class takes on a project. Locke’s class purchased one of the public art guitars the area is known for and commissioned an artist to paint it and add a tactile dimension before it was put on permanent display outside the Oklahoma School for the Blind.
“It is a beautiful campus, and during our visit there we were so impressed with the school and wanted to help draw attention to it and the work that is done there,” Locke says.
Leadership Muskogee and Youth Leadership classes spend a day visiting the area’s tourist attractions, ensuring locals know what Muskogee offers visitors. Stops include hands-on visits to the area’s five museums.
“We find the majority of them have never seen their own city’s attractions, and they just love this day,” Harris says. “It’s a great way to help them learn about all the wonderful things Muskogee has to offer.”
– Leanne Libby
Leading-Edge LeadershipMUSKOGEE CHAMBER OFFERS NETWORKING, EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
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Business | Chamber Report
BUSINESS CLIMATEMuskogee is the third-largest manufacturing community in
Oklahoma. Items produced here include machinery, rubber
items, food products and consumer goods. The city also is an
important transportation, trade and industrial center in the
Arkansas River Valley.
TAX STRUCTURE
0.65%County Sales and Use Tax
4.0%City Sales Tax
4.5%State Sales Tax
9.15%Total Sales Tax
ECONOMIC RESOURCES
Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism310 W. Broadway
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 682-2401
www.muskogeechamber.org
Muskogee Development216 W. Okmulgee St.
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 683-2816
www.muskogee
development.org
GOVERNMENT OFFICES
City of Muskogee227 W. Okmulgee St.
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 682-6602
www.cityofmuskogee.com
TRANSPORTATION
AIRPORTS
Davis Field Airport
1200 Sabre St.
Muskogee, OK 74403
(918) 683-0699
Northwest Arkansas
Regional Airport
One Airport Blvd.
Bentonville, AR 72712
(479) 205-1000
www.nwara.com
Tulsa International Airport
7777 E. Apache St.
Tulsa, OK 74115
(918) 838-5000
www.tulsaairports.com
BUS SERVICE
Union-Greyhound
1111 S. Main St.
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 682-1371
www.greyhound.com
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Muskogee County
Transit Authority
1320 N. Mill St., No. 126
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 682-1721
RIVER
Port of Muskogee
4901 Harold Scoggins Drive
Muskogee, OK 74403
(918) 682-7886
www.muskogeeport.com
RAIL SERVICE
BNSF Railway Co.
www.bnsf.com
Union Pacific Railroad
www.up.com
REAL ESTATE
$75,750Average Home Price
16.09%Home Turnover Percentage
INDUSTRIAL SITES
Davis Field550 acres available
EastPointe Business Park56 acres available
John T. Griffin117 acres available
Muskogee Industrial Complex 16 acres available
Port of Muskogee 180 acres available
Southside, 248 acres available
MORE ONLINE
imagesmuskogee.com
More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.
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26 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
Business | Economic Profile
Working together as the Muskogee Area Educational Consortium,
education representatives from all sectors of Muskogee County have built strong partnerships to offer students greater benefits. The group has become a key gathering place for everyone from early childhood educators through graduate school administrators.
“We are unique,” says Sue Godwin, the group’s co-founder and institutional services coordinator at Indian Capital Technology Center. “We are the only one we’re aware of in the state that meets on a monthly basis.”
After meeting regularly for more than 10 years, Godwin says, the group has a comfort level that helps them cut through red tape as well as work together to achieve education goals benefiting the entire community. Collegiate members include Northeastern State University, Bacone College and Connors State College. The organization also includes primary and secondary schools within the Haskell, Warner, Hilldale and Fort Gibson systems, as well as area private schools and the Oklahoma School for the Blind.
Career development is a priority for the group, Godwin says.
“We want to help kids understand what careers there are and why they are important,” she says.
For the past two years, the consortium has sponsored a math and engineering competition where students gather at Muskogee Civic Center for competitive math tests and a design contest. The first year, contestants built rubber band cars. In its second year, the contest challenged students to design mousetrap cars. Nearly 400 students took advantage of the opportunity to apply their classroom lessons in a creative setting.
The consortium’s latest initiative is a Web-based career inventory system, which helps area students research their interests and career possibilities.
“You can log on, build a portfolio,
look at specific careers and determine the amount of education you would need and the salary range,” Godwin says. She also notes the consortium’s mission extends to adults as well. Programs such as the career inventory system can help unemployed or under-employed adults find a fresh path.
Its longevity has made the consortium the go-to group for county leaders with education questions. Chamber representatives and development officials also have joined.
“So you have the heads of all these entities sitting together and talking in a relaxed atmosphere,” Godwin says.
“It’s great for problem-solving and gathering brain power.”
Such cooperation has eased the process of designing curriculum, transferring credits and finding solutions to solve local businesses’ training needs. A recently formed task force can swiftly address staff and training needs resulting from layoffs.
“It’s a quality we almost take for granted,” Godwin says. “We’re not worried about whose student this is or other territorial issues. We all truly believe our community and its development come first.”
– Leanne Libby
Great Minds Think AlikeCONSORTIUM BRINGS TOGETHER PUBLIC, PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND HIGHER EDUCATION
Three area colleges are members of the educational consortium. S
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No one needs a calendar to know when spring arrives in Muskogee. It’s all about
the azaleas. Every April, Honor Heights Park
bursts into 40 acres of blooming color for the annual Azalea Festival. The month-long festival draws crowds of roughly 250,000 for a parade, art shows, film festivals and a simple excuse to stop and smell the flora.
The tradition began more than 40 years ago when the city’s parks and recreation superintendent discovered that he could grow the flowering shrubs
quite successfully.“In the early days, azalea plants
around here were not common,” says Mark Wilkerson, director of the Muskogee Parks & Recreation Department. “It started as kind of something new. The azaleas were unique, and he planted so many of them that it made for really a fascinating show. So we quickly got a reputation for the Azalea Festival as an event.”
To date, more than 30,000 of the plants have been grown, representing 625 varieties.
The event has blossomed, too, with
many community organizations hosting events throughout the month of April to complement the festivities.
The Flower Power Bike Ride, Flower Power Run and Area Quilters’ Guild Show are among the festival’s most popular spin-offs. Other featured activities include a historic downtown trolley ride, horse and carriage rides through Honor Heights Park and walking and driving tours that visitors can take at their own pace.
Things also heat up on parade day, usually held the second Saturday of April. The Exchange Club Chili and BBQ Cook-Off is one of the Azalea Festival’s most popular activities. Each year, more than 100 teams compete for prizes and bragging rights. During the 25 years they’ve held the event, the nonprofit Exchange Club has served up 300,000 pounds of barbecue and 20,000 gallons of chili. More importantly, the club has raised more than $800,000 for local charities.
As a matter of fact, the day of the parade and cook-off draws more visitors to Muskogee than any other day of the year.
“I think the other thing that makes the festival popular and successful is that it’s springtime. We’re coming out of winter, and now it’s springtime, and people are looking for opportunities to get outside and enjoy the springtime weather,” Wilkerson says. “Spring is in the air, and people are wanting to enjoy the beauty of the park.”
Whether warm weather comes early or late, Muskogee residents know that spring hasn’t officially sprung until the azaleas bloom.
– Michaela Jackson
The Community’s Best BudsAZALEA FESTIVAL SPRINGS CITY INTO ACTION
Azaleas in bloom at Honor Heights Park
What’s Online eLearn about the fl owers, fun and festivities at the Azalea Festival in a quick video at imagesmuskogee.com.
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Arts & Culture
Never mind the fact that Muskogee is smack dab in the middle of the U.S. of A. Anyone who’s landlocked in this town bears that designation by choice.
The eastern Oklahoma city is connected to just about every port city in the country – and beyond – by the McKlellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The River Center at Three Forks Harbor, a new $12 million facility at the convergence of the Arkansas, Verdigris and Grand rivers, gives recreational boaters access to a vast network of waterways that spreads from New Orleans to the Great Lakes and everywhere in between.
“There’s a great adventure, or at least the opportunity of a great adventure, to take a boat from Three Forks Harbor and go to the Gulf of Mexico if you wanted to, or all over the inland waterways,” says Scott Robinson, port director. “When we travel all over the country and say ‘Port of Muskogee,’ people don’t understand. They say, ‘You’ve got a what? An airport?’ And when they understand that it’s a river port and that you have access to all of the inland waterways in the United States, and to the world, really, through the Gulf of Mexico Port of New Orleans, they’re amazed by that.”
The harbor, one of the only inland ports in the country to offer a 100-ton travel lift for hoisting boats out of the water, draws water enthusiasts from all over.
When harbormaster Wayne McManus and his wife moved to Muskogee from Alabama to run Arrowhead Marina at Three Forks Harbor, they came all the way by boat. And their journey isn’t uncommon.
“A boat just pulled into the marina a few minutes ago that came down from Lake Michigan,” McManus says. “We had a boat leave here last fall that is now docked in California. Two gentlemen left here last week headed for Houston, Texas. One of our regular tenants is currently on the Gulf of Mexico in Orange Beach, Ala. You get the idea.”
The River Center’s primary purpose in Muskogee is to give the community at large recreational access to the same water resources that commercial and industrial outfits have taken advantage of for years. As such, the facility appeals widely to water lovers beyond boaters, offering annual events such as a Cardboard Boat Regatta, a Kids’ Fishing Rodeo, and runs and bike rides along the river. A pier also offers casual anglers the chance to cast a line.
“Sitting outside my office right now, I can see what looks like a grandpa and his grandkids, little ones, and they’re out here on the pier fishing,” Robinson says. “And to see that every day makes me feel like we have accomplished something important to Muskogee and to Oklahoma.” – Michaela Jackson
Three Rivers Run Through ItNEW RIVER CENTER PROVIDES BOATERS ACCESS TO NATIONWIDE WATERWAYS
Three Forks Harbor, home to the new River Center, draws recreational boaters from Michigan to Alabama.
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 29
Sports & Recreation
If you need to get something done, do it yourself. That’s the premise behind a new partnership between Muskogee Regional Medical Center and Bacone College
that will result in more nursing students at the college and more nurses caring for patients at the largest hospital in the community.
Diane Fulton, MRMC chief nursing officer calls the new program “a win-win.”
“We know that there is a shortage of nurses, and one of the big reasons is because there is a shortage of faculty,” Fulton says. “Instead of waiting for somebody else to solve our problems, we, the hospitals that need the nurses, need to work with the schools to produce more nurses and make sure that they’re successful when they graduate, which will benefit the hospital.”
On June 1, 2009, Stephanie Jett began her new job as MRMC associate chief nursing officer, a half-time position. The other half of her time is spent as department chair of Bacone’s Billie R. Tower Nursing Program. While Jett was already director of the Bacone program, she vacated that job for the new position, paid for by MRMC.
In exchange for funding the chair position, beginning with the 2009 fall semester Bacone is providing 20 tuition scholarships each year for full-time nursing students selected mutually by MRMC and the college. For each semester that a student accepts the scholarship, the student owes six months’ of employment to the hospital. The MRMC-Bacone partnership is initially for three years, with an automatic three-year renewal.
With Jett sharing her time between the academic and clinical settings, Fulton says the college’s curriculum will be stronger, and the tricky transition for nursing students to the world of hospital care will be easier.
“A majority of nurses right out of school end up leaving their first job within a year,” she says, adding that one of the new program’s goals is “to give them lots of support and mentoring as they embark on their new career to make them successful.” In the future, Fulton says she’d like to see a “nurse residency program,” bringing first-year nurses back to the classroom periodically for instruction and encouragement.
Muskogee Regional is a 329-bed hospital that employs more than 200 nurses, and Fulton says the hospital continually recruits additional nurses at all levels. With 23 medical specialties, the hospital’s services include a Cancer Treatment Center, Rehabilitation Center, emergency services and the Pavilion, a comprehensive mental-health program.
– Sharon H. Fitzgerald
Nurturing NursesMUSKOGEE REGIONAL PARTNERS WITH COLLEGE TO BOOST NURSING PROGRAM
Muskogee Regional Medical Center
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Health & Wellness
SNAPSHOTSurrounded by rivers, lakes, gardens and woodlands, Muskogee
offers residents and visitors a host of reasons to get outside and
play. Or venture indoors to one of many arts centers, museums
and historical sites.
MUSKOGEE
CLIMATE
Oklahoma has a continental
climate with cold winters and
hot summers. Dry, sunny
weather generally prevails
throughout the state.
27 FJanuary Low Temperature
48 FJanuary High Temperature
70 FJuly Low Temperature
95 FJuly High Temperature
EDUCATION
Between them, the two city
school districts – Muskogee
Public Schools and Hilldale
Public Schools – operate a
pre-kindergarten center, nine
elementary schools, two K-8
schools, two middle schools
and two high schools. The city
is also home to the Oklahoma
School for the Blind, as well
as a wealth of institutes of
higher education.
HEALTH CARE
The 329-bed Muskogee
Regional Medical Center
offers full inpatient and
outpatient services. The
45-bed Muskogee Community
Hospital, which opened in
2009, operates as a general
acute care facility. The
Veterans Affairs Medical
Center has 50 beds and offers
primary care providers and
outpatient services.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Three Rivers Museum
220 Elgin St.
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 686-6624
www.3riversmuseum.com
MORE ONLINE
imagesmuskogee.com
More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.
Thomas-Foreman Historic Home1419 W. Okmulgee St.
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 686-6624
The Five Civilized Tribes Museum1101 Honor Heights Drive
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 683-1701
www.fivetribes.org
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Community Profile
Kamlesh AggarwalBroker/Owner
• Hotels/Motels• Office Buildings• Land Development• Investment Properties
Sooner Realty Properties, LLCPhone: (918) 260-5286 E-mail: [email protected]
www.soonerrealtyproperties.com
Specializing in sales of:
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1986
visit ouradvertisersArmstrong Bank www.armstrongbank.com
Arrowhead Mall www.arrowheadmallmuskogee.com
Bethany D. Bowline CPA Inc. PC
Dal-Tile www.daltilecareers.com
Donna Elliott – Century 21 www.realtor.com
Eastern Workforce Investment Board www.easternwib.com
Gaddy Drug
Georgia Pacific Corporation www.gp.com
Graham-Carroll House www.bbonline.com/ok/grahamcarroll
Greater Muskogee Chamber of Commerce www.muskogeechamber.org
Indian Capital Technology Center www.ictctech.com
James Hodge Ford www.jameshodgefordlm.com
Love Bottling Company www.lvbeverages.com
Muskogee Regional Medical Center www.muskogeehealth.com
Sooner Realty Properties
St. Francis Home Hospice www.saintfrancis.com
Tulsa Better Business Bureau www.tulsabbb.org
32 IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM MUSKOGEE
MUSKOGEE IMAGESMUSKOGEE .COM 33
Ad Index 8 ARMSTRONG BANK
33 ARROWHEAD MALL
5 BETHANY D. BOWLINE CPA INC . PC
19 DAL-TILE
2 DONNA ELLIOTT – CENTURY 21
4 EASTERN WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD
33 GADDY DRUG
31 GEORGIA PACIFIC CORPORATION
1 GRAHAM-CARROLL HOUSE
C4 GREATER MUSKOGEE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
32 INDIAN CAPITAL
TECHNOLOGY CENTER
8 JAMES HODGE FORD
5 LOVE BOTTLING COMPANY
C2 MUSKOGEE REGIONAL
MEDICAL CENTER
32 SOONER REALTY PROPERTIES
30 ST. FRANCIS HOME HOSPICE
21 TULSA BETTER
BUSINESS BUREAU