2-The Perkins Journal Thursday, October 6, 1977
'i0000PERKINS joun00
Robert L. and Yvonne Evans, Owners-Publishers
Published each Thursday at 133 S. Main Street,
Post Office Box 665, Perkins, Oklahoma 74059
Second Class Postage Paid at Perkins, Okla. 74059
Telephone: 405-547-2411
Subscription Prices:
Payne, Lincoln, Logan and Noble Counties
$6.00 per year plus tax
Elsewhere $9.00 per year plus tax
Journal Editorials
Third Largest Town
Payne County's third largest town is still on the
grow. All the meetings one attends and most of the
conversations in which one is involved centers around
the growth of the community.
Many call the growth of this community "problems",
when they should be called benefits.
Perkins is a much better town than it was 15 years
ago because it is a bigger town and has a larger base
upon which to build and support it. The schools are
stronger, the city utility systems are better; the police
department more complete and quite efficient and
responsive. The business community is expanded and
quite healthy with new business and new services.
There are more recreation facilities and activities for all
ages. Everyone that wants to work is working and the
hourly wage higher than it has ever been. The town and
community and people are bigger, better and sounder
than they've ever been. This is not a problem, but a
welcomed benefit.
And more is coming. Community education, a new
neighborhood park in the Cimarron Heights addition. A
sewer improvement program. Street work. A new
highway to the cemetery and industrial tract. Main
Street drainage improvements. A new housing
subdivision. At least a hundred new families will
establish homes here.
These things are not happening all at once, but are
coming into the picture gradually. Even though it is
exceptional for a community this size, the growth is
progressive and orderly and has not developed into a
stampede like some of the suburbs of Tulsa and
Oklahoma City. The community is fortunate.
Maintaining quality and balance is important in
Perkins' progress, Residents should get involved and
work in the community, the school and churches.
Individuals should assure that their family is effective
and contributing rather than detracting.
If Perkins has "problems" aren't they nice. It's a
new experience for this community. The problem
before has been how to keep from going backwards.
Zipped Fly is not news
Just what news is and how it should be presented is
sometimes a confusing subject. Newspaper editors are
always very aware, or should be, of the goals and
purpose of their publication. They are often more
objective and concerned than many people might think.
A fellow editor, Bob Myers, has evidently given this
considerable thought. His interpretation is stated more
plainly and cleverly than we could ever say it, so we are
taking the liberty to reprint it here. Don't you think he
makes some good points?
Brother Myers says:
We try to keep an eye open for the good news and
accent it. That's not always easy because it's the bad
that is often unusual and therefore news,
If the mayor gets up to speak and his fly is open,
that's news (even though we wouldn't print it). If it's
neatly zipped, that's not news (at least not among the
mayors I know).
And there is the news that is good to some and bad to
others. We recently had a story about the possibility
that school employees might be able to draw
unemployment pay during the summer months.
School officials treat it as the worst news they had
heard in years. So did many taxpayers. But what could
be better news to the school employees?
Announcements of international peace pacts can
cause acute economic depression in the aircraft and
munitions industry.
A spell of dry, sunny weather can make the
vacationer think his prayers have been answered. It can
also spread gloom in the umbrella trade and panic
among drought-stricken farmers.
There is something to be said for bad news.
It has an element of rugged honesty about it. And
like Grandma's castor oil, it makes the orange juice that
follows seem twice as good.
At your own risk
Motorists traveling north out of Perkins must
negotiate two very dangerous intersections.
The intersection north of Perkins, known as the
Perkins Y, and the intersection at the Perkins Corner a
mile west. should be treated in considerable serious-
ness by motorists because anything and everything has
happened there in the way of driver misjudgement and
error.
There are ways these intersections could be made
safer, but alas, because of lack of funds or planning, or
interest or something, they don't get the needed
attention.
Many major intersections on Oklahoma highways
have been rebuilt with traffic islands and lanes and
substantial warning signs. This treatment needs to be
applied to Perkins Y north of town. Reduced speed
limits and "Dangerous Intersection" signs should he
installed.
The Perkins Corner intersection jeeds a right turn
lane and better lane identification system. Dangerous
intersection and reduced speed signs should be
installed and enforced.
Perkins people learn to live with these dangerous
intersections. However, the unaware motorist doesn't
make it. The Journal feels the highway department
should spend some money to bring these intersections
standards.
Doc Comments, .--
He forgets that Medicare
eroded insurance programs
On September 29, 1977,
The Perkins Journal carried
a letter to the Editor from S.
H. Clarke, Acting Principal
Regional Official for the
Department of Health, Edu.
Medicade is a combination of
Federal and State partner-
ships established to provide
health care for the needy
persons in certain specific
categories, namely the aged,
cation and Welfare, Region the disabled, the blind, and
4, 1200 Main Tower, Dallas, families of dependent chil-
Texas 75202. The letter calls dren.
attention to the fact that Now, Medicare is a giant
National Health Insurance is operation with so many
top priority with the adminis- technicalities, departments
tration and invites the
general public to express
their opinions of how
National Health Insurance
can best be achieved. Clarke
points out that rampant
inflation in health care
threatens to erode the
protection of many Ameri-
cans with private commercial
insurance. Also who should
manage the program, Fed-
eral, State, local or private
insurance companies. Now
what Clarke forgets is that
the Federaly operated Medi-
care program was the first to
erode insurance programs of
people who spent all the
working years planning
insurance protection for the
years after retiring. Upon
reaching the age of 65 years
there was no feasible choice
except to sign up for the
federally funded program to
provide health care benefits
for all persons over the age
of 65, with private insurance
picking up a percentage of
cost above that provided by
Medicare.
On the other hand,
and loads of paperwork that
communications between are
poor, opaque, and opinions
are divided in processing
that no one knows for sure
who is right.
Legislative guidelines in
certain services indicates
that the patient be transport-
ed to the closest approved
facility and the powers-that-
be says this in no way
deprives the patient of
freedom of choice because
Medicare guidelines indicate
that it is the hospital's
equipment, personnel, and
capability to furnish the
necessary support for medi-
cal care required by the
patient and his doctor's
recommendations which de-
termines "approved facility"
and the Regional Director
points out that although the
regulations setting forth the
criteria simply reflect con-
gressional intent, we expect,
however, that care will be
exercised in the application
of "approved facility" rules
because we recognize that a
hospital in which certain
specialized services are
never performed because of
lack of a specialist on its
staff, is unlikely to be
otherwise equipped to sup.
port such procedures. Many
of the hospitals on the
approved list come under the
above described circum-
stances. What the director of
H.E.W. forgot to do was to
communicate the directions
to their handling agents.
Our U.S. Senators and
Congressmen from Okla-
homa are watching verbage
to be included in any new
Medicare program which will
be detrimental to those in
need of medical care. The
Federal Bureaucracy has
never been known to
successfully manage, oper-
ate or direct any agency
under its care or to finance
without subsidy or direct
grants. The Department of
Health, Education and Wel-
fare is no exception. After 40
years of federal supervision,
why should we expect the
secretary, Joseph A. Cali-
fonia, Jr., to give us
something different? He
knows that and that is the
reason he is calling for an
all-out HEW effort to ask the
general public how national
health insurance can best be
achieved. Every person
should respond regardless of
age. As the sign Said on the
1908 automobile, "Don't
laugh. You'll be old some
day, your self.
Arrivederci,
T. C. (Doc) Bonner
(From The Perkins Jouranl
October 9, 1952 -- 25 years
ago)
Perkins is planning its
second annual Fall Festival
for next weekend. The event
will be kicked off with a
football game at the home
field Thursday night. On
Friday Perkins merchants
will open their stores with
smiles on their faces and
bargains galore on their
shelves. The Perkins band
will parade to herald the
opening of the Fall shopping
season. Several events are
scheduled for Saturday in-
cluding the Wonder Bread
circus wagon, a Mystery
Window Display Contest,
and a double drawing in the
afternoon.
Roy Crabs, chairman,
appointed several commit-
tees to plan the Former
Students and Teachers'
Alumni Association meeting
scheduled for November 8.
Those present for the
planning meeting were Roy
Crabs, Mr. and Mrs. Dale
Holbrook, Verlin Nelson,
Mrs. Guy McClain, Bob
Chesney, Ronald Holsinger,
Jim Gardner, Mrs. Tom
Chrystal, and a guest, Tom
Chrystal.
Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Kirk
held open house Sunday in
honor of Mr. Kirk's mother
Mrs. Mildred J. Kirk, better
known as Grandma Kirk, on
her 99th birthday.
Bill Krater tells us this
week that .Tuesday night the
tree tops and building roofs
in Perkins seemed to be alive
with hoot owls. They stayed
in Perkins for perhaps thirty
minutes, according to Bill.
(From The Perkins Journal
October 3, 1957 -- 20 years
ago)
In their second game of
the year, the Demons put
together a last quarter rally
to deal the Marshall Dragons
a 14-7 loss.
A passing motorist called
Police Chief Ray Harral and
reported two drunk drivers
headed toward Perkins. The
local officer was waiting on
them here when they came
through. After repeated
attempts to get them
stopped, Harral reported he
finally gave up and concen-
trated on giving approaching
his red light. He was in radio
contact with highway and
county officers who set up a
road block at the bridge east
of Lee Kirk's place. The two
turned off on a county road
before reaching the road
block and officers converged
on them from all directions.
They were taken to Okla-
homa City to face check
writing charges.
During tne uirectors
meeting of the Lions Club,
the chairman and one
member of four committees
were selected to investigate
the project of a swimming
pool for the Perkins Com-
munity.
Weekend specials at Del-
Mar's included Fresh tur.
nips for 5c pound; Three
pounds of Yellow Onions for
10c, Mix and match canned
vegetables, 10 cans for 95c.
Luster's Dairy Raw Milk,
half gallon bottle. 35c. Pork
Steak, 49c pound.
Marilyn Youngker repre-
sented Perkins in Oklahoma
City as FFA Queen candi-
date.
In the second grade news
it was pointed out that
Monday, September 30 was
Randy Hall's birthday. We
sang "Happy Birthday" and
all the children drew and
colored pictures of toys,
cakes, and foods they would
like to give him. Randy liked
the pictures quite well when
he showed them to us.
Dennis Scott was adverti[;-.
ing 150 bushels of seed oats
for 90c a bushel.
Jennie Busch wrote in her
Clayton News, "What would
be meaner than a two-legged
thief that took a Winchester
gun out of John Barth's car
at the river bridge Saturday
when he was a fishing? The
gun was a birthday gift he
had received a year to the
day it was takenl"
(From The Perkins Journal
October 5, 1951 -- 16 years
ago)
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Evans
have been appointed as
co-chairmen of the 1961
Perkins Combined Drive.
The board set this year's
goal at $1 363.50.
O. T. Myers, Oklahoma
City, has been hired by the
Perkins board of education to
give band instruction on a
Larry Lyons, who has been
called for military duty.
Perkins town board mem-
bers voted Monday night to
purchase a pickup truck to
replace the present vehicle.
The new one is a 1958
Chevrolet six-cylinder model
purchased from Grady Gard-
ner.
James R. Cowley of
Perkins is one of 145
outstanding Oklahoma High
School graduates who have
been awarded general uni-
versity freshman scholar-
ships to Oklahoma Univer-
sity.
The Oklahoma Highway
Commission has approved a
$16,000 rock bank protection
project for the Cimarron
River bridge south of Perkins
on State Highway 40.
Monday night the board of
education members were
busy discussing school af-
fairs when one of them
noticed a large snake l!terally
climbing the wall in the hall
of the high school. A recess
was called by chairman
Verlin Nelson immediately,
and the chase was on to catch
the 5' 1" blacksnake, which
had escaped from Marvin
Buck's science laboratory
several days before. Princi-
pal Jimmie Black, as chief
reptile handler, led the chase
with help and advice from
Ross Duckett. Board mem-
bers helped by giving
them--and the snake--plen-
ty of room to maneuver. Your
courageous editor (Roland
Sodowsky) not wanting to
miss any of the action,
backed off several yards to
get a better over-all view.
The culprit finally was
trapped in a waste basket
and then transferred to a
cardboard box. School board
members resumed their
meeting.
(From The Perkins Journal
October 5, 1967 -- 10 years
ago)
October 17 has been set as
the date of the election for
the proposed water and
sewer election. The decision
will be to set up a Public
Trust that will be given
permission to borrow $57,-
000 for imvrovements.
The Journal asks you:
Did your Diet ever work?
Have you ever tried a diet
that works? If so, what was it
and did it work?
"ii Beverly Evans: Weight
doctors can take it off, but tt
doesn't stay off unless you
have the will power to push
away from the table.
Irene Hazelbaker: I've
never been on a diet. But
l've found eating about half
of what you usually eat, you
can lose weight. Staying off
starches and sweets helps.
Margaret Coate: I always
am/ A low calorie, high
protein diet works with lots
i of exercise, butlalways start
eating again.
J. G. Tabor: I don't diet. I
don't have too. I've never
been on a diet. I can eat
!ii about anything I want
:::
including cake, pie, and ice
cream. I feel lucky, but I
work and exercise a lot, too.
LaVeta Randall: Always/
I've been on a diet most of
my life because I enjoy all
the wrong kinds of foods. A
low carbohydrate diet is best
for me it seems.
" Mrs. Kenneth Hill: I lost
my weight over a period of
about two years. First, you
need a goal, a reason for
losing. Next, you need
medical supervision. I prefer
a calorie diet. I belong to
TOPS, and when you face the
scales weekly, there's a th
erapeutic value in being with
a group oriented toward the
same goal. It is also
rewarding when people say,
"You're looking great/"
Barbs and Wires -
Shouldn't local democracy come
by Ken Anderson
On Tuesday, October 11,
the residents of Stillwater
Independent School District
16 will go to the polls to vote
on a school bond issue. Or, at
least hopefully they will go to
the polls. Historically, rela-
tively few voters bother to
turn out to vote on school
matters. This is unfortunate
because not only are Our
property taxes affected on
the one hand, on the other
the future of our society may
well depend on the quality of
education we make available
to our children.
But events do occur that
give rise to the question,
"Are we really concerned
about our children and the
education they receive?"
Last year a bond issue
referendum failed in part in
Stillwater. Another 63 or 64
votes would have carried the
question. Would it have
passed if the voter turnout
had been larger? The portion
of the issue that failed dealt
in large measure with
eliminating overcrowding at
the Middle School. After the
vote, an advisory committee
of Stillwater people from
many professions and many
walks of life was formed to-
study the issues and advise
the School Board on possible
answers. During the past
year this committee has met
scores of times in open
session and the School Board
has met at least monthly.
Unfortunately only a hand-
ful of people, and usually
only the same ones, have
attended these meetings.
Some are in favor of the new
bond issue that is now
proposed and some are
against it. But at least they
have been interested enough
to sacrifice their time;
attend, and take part in the
debates. This is the demo.
cratic way.
But the great majority of
the parents of the children in
the district have been
conspicuous by their ab-
sence.
Not much has changed
during the past year except
that now the schools are
more crowded than ever and
construction costs have risen
sharply. So if the issue
passes this time it will cost
more to build a new school or
schools now than it would
have last year.
But that is all in the past.
Now it is almost time to go to
the polls and vote on the
issue at hand. There are
people who are very much in
favor of passage and people
who are very much against
• it, and in the final days of the
campaign rumors, innuen-
does, and half-truths are
being widely circulated.
How many people will
bother to go and vote? And,
on what will those who do
cast their ballot base their
decision? Will they allow
themselves to be swayed by
propaganda, or will they take
the trouble to seek out the
facts from authoritive
sources?
There is a lesson
many communities.
Too many of us do
realize that democracy,
charity, begins at home.
often ignore local issues
being unimportant while
the same time gettin!
steamed up over
that happens a continent
hemisphere away.
much effect will the
Lance Affair, the
Canal Treaty or the
gift scandal have on
County? True,
affects our nation also
us one way or another.
shouldn't our local
affairs come first? After;
this is where we live and I
local government andl
services that we must
with and depend on
to day. How many of
taken the time or
attend a county or
Commission or School
meeting? We hire
people when we elect
and we are the
furnish the money for
to operate our system
so why shouldn't we
interested in what theY
Believe it or not,
elected officials are
honest folks. But if theY
dishonest, we'd never
about it if we never
to participate.
Get your
a reliable source. Base
decision on facts,
unfounded rumors
the polls and vote.
Sound Off!
by LaVeta Randall
Listen to the peoplel
This was the bold type in
an advertisement for a large
state paper in regard to the
publication itself and its
advertising policy. However,
it is applicable in every facet
of life.
Communication is more
than words. A. Kaiser
Alumnium quote states,
"Words have no meaning.
Only the people have
meaning."
The truth of such state-
ments is quite obvious in
communication break-
downs. It is most easily
observed in the people's
relationship to the govern-
ment and in personal or
family affairs.
The latter, however, usu-
ally has opportunity to clarify
the issues and correct the
situation. But in govern.
mental programs, some on
county as well as state levels,
individuals do not always
take advantage of their right
to speak.
If commercial advertisers
recognize the need to "listen
to the people" through the
printed page, it would seem
make
same effort in government
affairs or in personal
opinions as a citizen.
It is pretty much the
consensus of those in
'communications that most of
us do not listen. Words are
so easily misinterpreted. A
body gesture can change the
total meaning.
Dr. Walter Menninger
asked, "How often have you
been in a conversation and
sensed there was more being
communicated than met the
ear?" Words are symbols
and often have different
meanings to different
people.
The tone of voice, posture,
manner of speech and even
the look in the eyes or the
turn of the mouth conveys as
much or more than a subtle
phrase to reveal the hidden
meaning.
Therefore, one has little
opportunity to more than
"listen" when our govern-
mental body speaks through
the .press. But when one
takes time to voice_.his
,opinions carefully through
the written word it is a
beginning. For communi-
cation is a two-way process.
on
As I kneel beside nJY
each nite/at the close
weary day/I bury my
my trembling haw
tears fall as I pray.
Lord, as worthy as I
one thing of
bless the people I love.
them remember me./
are only human,
know,/so when the
done,/They may be
I am now/and turn to
other ones./l can no
Igo to them/To make
understand./A
chilly and
them will never
though tonight we
apart/I love them
God.
Amen
by Bill Pace, Still'
In Memory
In Memory
(who passed
year ago)
Days of sadness still
o'er us/Hidden te
often flow,/Though
one year a
heavenly winds bloc
O'er the
spot,/Where the
lies sleeping,/And
forgot,
His sister,
