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l*\4»h IIIKI K—i4Nda.) Monday, Dec*. 24.24401
News
News
wrap
Building to remember student
Sill I .WATER (AP) <Oklahoma Stale lIniversity officials Have recognized
an education pioneer hy naming a campus building alter her.
The building irearing Nancy Randolph Davis' name
joins three scholarships that were named lor her this
year. The scholarships will benefit OSC incoming
freshmen, continuing students and graduate students.
Davis was the first black person to enroll at
Oklahoma State lIniversity. She received her bachelor's degree in home eco-
nomics from Langston University.
She taught one year before enrolling at OSU. Davis attended OSl I during the
summers ami earned a master's degree in 195 V
She taught at Dunjee School and Star Spencer High School lor 45 years.
Area towns get ambulance service
()()!.(KiAll I AP) - After two years of planning, residents in two lulsa area
communities have an operational ambulance service
The Oologah ialala Emergency Medical Services was created with help from
j $45,000 state grant and .1 three mill tax approved by voters in March 2000
Before the ambulance service, residents in the towns sometimes have luid to
wait as long as half an hour for an ambulance, or have had to dove themselves to
the hospital
In t|ie past two weeks, the ambulance service has made lb runs and taken six
patients to local hospitals, said Hob Sweet, vice chairman ot its board of direc-
tors.
The ambulance service operates two ambulances in a 200-square-mile area. It
employs 21 people, including 10 lull and part-time paramedics. It) emergency
medical technicians and one director who is trained as a paramedic
The serv ice operates 24 hours a day. seven days a week. It has no station, and
the Northwest Rogers County Fire Protection District is handling its calls
Sweet said the sales lax generated $400,000 in 2001 and more than $525,000
is expected in 2002
Judge to hand down sentence
TULSA (AP) A federal judge will decide April 4 whether a l ulsa man
! should get life imprisonment after his conviction on lb tederal crimes related to
a December 2000 armed robbery spree.
Andre Curtis. 55. was found guilty Friday of committing seven armed rob-
beries as well as aiding and abetting in another heist. Curtis. 55, was also con-
victed of eight fttearm v mlations related to the robbery counts.
1 he charges stemmed from armed robberies of a pizza parlot and six other es
tablishmcnts. A federal grand jury indicted Curtis, his sister. Francinet urtis. and
| Jackie Rice. 51. on Jan 11
I rancme Curtis. 51. was sc-ntenced July 2 to 15 1/2 years in prison, followed
In five years ol supervised release. Rice was sentenced to 17 years and one
i month in prison and five years of subsequent supervised release, but he lias since
j died Irom complications of sickle cell anemia.
Reward offered for suspect duo
i (>KI AHOMA CITY 1 AP' A vash reward i-> being ottered lor information ;
leading to the arrest of two people accused in the death ot an < fklahoma ( ity ad 1
vertising executive
Die FBI announced Friday it is ottering a $15,000 reward tor intonnalion on
die whereabouts Brenda Andrew and James Pavatt
Oklahoma County prosecutors have charged Andrew. 57. and Pavatt. 48. with
first degree murder in the Nov. 20 shooting death ol her husband, Robert
I Andrew
Federal arrest warrants for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution were issued
| Nov Ml for Andrew and Pavatt. whom authorities believe are traveling with
Andrew's IB-year old daughter. Trials. and 7-year old son. Parker.
| Andrew. Pavatt arid the children haven't been seen since Nov 2b
Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at (405) 290-7770
OSBI hunting for acid-throwers
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Stale Bureau of Investigation ofti-
I cub hope a $5,000 reward will bnng forward someone with information about
; u ho threw a jar of acid on a car dnving on Interstate 44 six months ago
li’ii Maxwell and Cvnphia Broaddus were driving north on the II I Bailey
I turnpike near Newcastle June 5 when someone threw sulfuric acid on their car
I he inr thrown from the Country Club Road overpass, crashed through the
1 pas-.enger side ol the car's windshield, the < )SBI 'aid Broaddus suttered.....
>nd dcgiee hums on her arms, tave ami 1110
! It) jiercent ol his body
TRADITIONS
News staff recalls favorite Christmas memories
Taylor-
Blomfield
Christmas has always been pretty
traditional with my family There's al-
ways one hash before Christmas, and
then one or two more on Christmas
I )ay.
When I was little. I remember visit-
ing my dad s parents' home, w hich had
a very large downstairs area where
meals were served and all ot the
cousins played (there were always
many, many cou-
sins, because my
dad is one ot 12
kids)
Unfortunately,
to get down to this
wonder! ul room,
one had to walk
down a circular
staircase that mo-
re or less hung
Iree from any sort
ol wall The sta
trs. covered in ei-
ther brown or gre-
en shag carpet (I
think it was brown, but I can't really re-
member), also had nothing in between
the stairs Basically, you could sit on
any of the steps and look down between
your feet at what was going on below.
I his was the most frightening stair
case to a 5 year-old. and I remember
being ever so cautious as 1 made my
wav through that house.
My uncles never helped, either.
I hey were pretty ornery, and 1 was
much more inhibited than most of my
cousins at that age. It never failed that I
would have an uncle standing beneath
the staircase pretending to grab my feet
while I was trying to climb stairs one-
third ol my height.
I hat room had couches and games
and a television that was tuned to the
biggest football game, and a big kitchen
area with a bar off of which meals were
served, buffet-style, on paper plates. It
was no small affair to feed all of us. so
my morn, every year without fail,
would make her Corn Noodles and
Cheese dish I thought it was pretty dis-
gusting (and still do), but my uncles
loved it.
On the wall hung painted saws and
old farm instruments that my grandpa
probably still lias somewhere.
I think those Christmases probably
are some of mv favorite — and most
scary memories of Christmas w hen
I was a child
Surah Tavlt>1 Bitinfield
Maxwell had less severe hums on
Continued from Page 1
mas breakfast." Scherer said. "That
way the kids don't have to leave on
Christinas morning and go anywhere.
Scherer's family does have a la-
yonte holiday dish lhat isn't part of the
traditional Christmas tare
I guess the family favorite is broc
colt onion casserole," Scherer said.
"By the tons, we eat it
Gretchen and Dick White also
shared some ot their favorite holiday
traditions
"Christmas really focuses on the
grandchildren,” Dick White said. Wc
have five grandchildren and after next
July it'll be six. but Christinas really
focuses on them."
One of the most exciting parts o.
Christinas for the Whites is seeing
Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. He vis
its the whole family every year
"Our kids come in from Denver and
c>ne from Oklahoma ( ity. said Dick
White. "It’s a full family turnout."
The Christmas tree is a focal point
of the holiday, because the kids Jo all
the decorating. Hating i' another im-
portant part ol the day. and this year,
the menu was determined by what the
kids wanted
•This year, we re having tllattas."
Dick White said "We re having a
Mexican-cuisine    American
Christmas.”
Unique food Hems are traditional
for Shirley and Frank Bur/10.
I'hey’ve been visiting Franks
mothers house every Christmas F.ve for
at least the 24 years they have been
married, and each year she serves a
dish unique to the lantily.
"They have a tradition of eating
homemade raviolis. Shirley Bur/10
said. "And we have all kinds of baked
goodies and everything.
On Christmas morning, the Bur/ios
and their daughter open gifts and spend
time as a family.
"That's our time for the three ot us
to stay home." said Shirley Bur/io.
I can't put my linger on a calendar
year arid say. "This was my tavorite
Christmas."
Different Christmases have different
meanings for me. One of my favorite
childhood Christmas memories is of the
year my brother
and I got a six-
foot G I Joe air-
craft carrier play
set
1 always look-
ed forward to wat-
ching the tradi-
tional Christmas
specials on lelevi
sion. like "A Cha-
rlie Brown Christ-
inas" and the clay-    Stone
mated story ol
Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer
Iwo C hristmases Irom recent years
stand out in my mind Christmas 1998
was especially important because I had
returned from Israel only weeks be tore
I still set out my hand-carved olive
wood candlesticks and souvenirs front
Bethlehem .is holiday decorations.
My favorite is a framed picture of
the traditional manger and star of
Bethlehem, nestled in a small cave he
neath the sprawling Church ot the*
Nativity
This Christmas seems important av
well. For me the season kicked oil in
October when we begun rehearsals lor
Sapulpa Community Theatre's produc
lion of A Christmas Story l hat led to
some early shopping, and I can say lor
the first time in years that I'm happy
with every gift I bought tho year
Everything leels right.
And maybe that's the best way to
sum up this Christmas: it leels right
We've had a difficult yeat. and at
times things have looked bleak But it's
good to know that Christmas always
brings a bit of hope, even in the darkest
times.
(In'ii Stoiir
Family all together, cold weather,
lots of seasonal food, children bu//mg
about, bgg nog needs to be savored anil
swallowed now, 'cause you won t he
dow ning cold cups of it in August.
Egg nog is a Christmas exclusive
like red and green combo clo thing and
the Gri-nch cartoon.
Christmastime is nearer every day
Then it's here.
All that was
hurried in the tush
to the day, stops
and stills the
morning when it
arrives.
Christmas
morning in
evitably arrives.
Not ever soon
enough when
you're a kid. but Brock
somehow eventu-
ally time drags itsclt to the very day.
You w ake up in the morning, dash to
the tree in the living rixim to examine
and hurriedly open presents. Hugs and
play hugs and play, spending the day in
pajamas.
—John Brock
Tradition at Christmas was always
important to my parents.
Every year we would eat steak for
Christmas F.ve dinner, read the
Christmas story and wait tor Santa
Claus to make his yearly appearance.
Mom and Dad alway s worked hard to
make sure that Christmas was fun for
my brother and
me.
So my favorite
Christmas memo-
ry as a child was
spending Christ-
mas with my bro-
ther, Mom and
Dad
Now that I'm ML1' 1
married I still en-
joy the same thi-
ngs about Christ-
mas. only Aman
da gets to be a part of it, too.
— Matthew B. Bn nulllu s
Mk
[>1 y
Broaddus
W hen I think hack on Christmases
of the past, like most other folks I re
member lots of little things
There's the year I received my la
vorite doll of all. Blabby. She was one
of the first "talking" dolls made. Sin-
whined "mama" when you squeezed
her tummy. She came in blue tights and
a white milled blouse with tiny blue
I lowers embroidered on the yoke
My parents bought her a stroller, and
my mom made her a box ot clothes I
still have a few of Blabby's clothes that
my numi painstakingly made by hand
There's the year my brothers Bruce,
and Rob and l sat around all Christinas
morning play ing the Clue game 1 got
Bruce always would say. I know
who did 11 He didn't, but it was funny
to listen to him claim he did anyway
My mom nude eggs with bacon and
biscuits lor bieaklast W hen I try really
hard. I can still smell that
Fhere s the year my brother Kick
convinced me that Santa ( laus wasn't
real.
We shared a room at the lime. I
guess I vais 5. which would have made
Kick 12
W’e argued about it as we climbed in
our beds on Christmas F.ve Then later,
we sneaked out into the hallway and
watched our parents and older brother
and sister-in-law setting up Christmas
tor us and Rob
But to tell you the truth, this may be
the ( hristmas that turns out to he my
favorite for a years to come.
I can t remember a Christmas when
I've been so busy. There were so many
projects going on. I directed a dinner
theatre at my church, which was a mas
sive undertaking, and played the piano
tor a portion of a Christmas pageant
there, loo I think I started rehearsing in
September and kept on rehearsing
through the middle of this month
I worked on the Sapulpa Christmas
parade, wrote a series on affordable
housing, baked cookies, made a tew
Christmas gifts, joined the parents and
family at my nephew Pete's Christmas
program at school, lost him temporarily
at the null...
It was crazy. and it tbok me FOR
EVER, it seems, to even come close to
finding the Christmas spirit
But I think the
dinner theatre may
have made all the
difference to me.
Not tor the rea-
sons you'd think,
but for the uncal-
culated thing> that
came with it.
I knew all al-
ong that people
would have a gre-
at time at the pro- Quinnelly
duetion. It was a
good script, a musical/comedy with a
poignant meaning. 1 knew the cast was
great and had worked hard on making it
a terrific event Dinner theatre is just
tun.
But the things that 1 didn't calculate,
didn't really count on are the ones that
brought Christmas to heart
lake, how the little kids sheepishly
would approach the stage after each
show to talk to one ot the dancing
Santas They came by the dozens.
No one had more tun with that than
our dancing Santas. It was worth the
work tor lhat
Or like, how the angel in our pro-
duction lokl us she'd hud so much tun.
it's the first Christmas she'd experi-
enced in years w hen she wasn't de-
pressed
Or like the card I received from
someone who played a character in the
family scene telling me how she
thought she was far ttx> shy to stand in
front of a crowd and be part of a pro-
duction like lhat and how she'd ined to
think of wavs to get out ot it But so me-
dium wouldn't let her. and it turned out
m be one ot the best life-changing ex
|x-rii lives ot her hie
I think I'll remember tins Christmas
For years during my childhood this
little church was the center of many of
my Christmas experiences.
lhe plans for Christmas celebrations
usually started just after Thanksgiving
and included some form of a stage pro
duetion that always included the nativi-
ty scene.
Most of all, the cast included all the
kids w ho wanted to participate even the
neighborhood children who ordinarily
did not go to the church. All were wel-
come
Although cold outside, inside each
and every seal was occupied and the lit
tie church emitted glowing warmth that
I still feel today.
At the end of
the evening, one
of the members,
usually Billy
Welter. would
play Santa and
hand out a hag full
of Christmas can
dy. an orange and
an apple. While
the little church
struggled each day
tor financial sur
vival. there always
seemed to be
enough for everyone to receive u
Chnstmas sack.
Somehow, Christmas for me has
never been the same since the little
church closed its dixirs.
-—Bob Sherrill
m
- .»!, j
Sherrill
w ith special loudness
Ltirrw J. (Jnnuu'lly
At the corner ol North Ridgeway
and Fast Moman is a small church that
was once known as the Wesley
Methodist Church
Christmas memories come in many
forms special tunes with grandpar
ents and family ... but my most fondest
was the year my daughter. Andrea, was
bom.
I have spent the past few months
teaching her to drive, and it's hard to
believe 16 years ago we were waiting
for her to arrive.
My doctor in Germany allowed un-
to fly home at 8 1/2 months pregnant so
I could be at home for Christmas and
my parents could enjoy their first
grandchild's birth. She was due Dec
18. and we had made all kinds of spe
cial plans and had purchased cute little
holiday outfits But she was not cooper
aling.
Dec. 18 came and went, and my
doctor told me to be patient that every
thing was fine. So. we waited and wait-
ed and waited
Christmas Eve arrived, and we be
gan making the rounds to see tamely in
Drumright and
Wagoner hoping
the car rides wou-
ld hurry her along,
and we would ha-
ve a Christmas ba-
by. which 1 thou-
ght would be kind
of cool since I was
bom on Thanks-
giving. But still,
we waited and
again the doctor
said to he patient
Finally on Dec
27 I told the doc-
tor I was not going to be pregnant on
New Years Eve. so he hail better dv
something
I'here is nothing worse than a
crankv pregnant woman who puls her
tv Hit down
He gave in and the next day niv
daughter arrived to the joy ol lamilv
and friends at 5 56 pm. weighing ’
pounds and 11 ounces, with pail red
hair.
We slept though New Year's Eve to-
gether
Sheri IshrnacT WuIiIh>i>
Ishmaef-
Waldrop
REDISTRICTING
Continued troin Page 1
COLLECTION
Continued from Page 1
when the Christ child was at least 2
years old
"And I'd want an angel in there
somewhere. Really that s not in the
Bible either, but I'd want an angel."
One of her favorite nativities is a
wooden set given to her a few years
ago by her brother-in-law
"1 treasure it because he s gone
now. and he and his wife got it for me
for Christmas." Jones said.
The set includes three camels, an
angel and star on top of the stable, and
"even some chickens."
Jones already has plans to avid l >
her collection for Christmas 2002
"Next year I'd like to get a great big
one for my mantle." she said.
A secretary at West Side f ree Will
Baptist Church. Jones said looking ul
her collection reminds her ol the real
meaning ol the season.
T always think of il being Jesus'
birthday." she said. "I don't know it
the dale's right on Christmas or not.
but that's what we celebrate and that's
what they remind me of.”
a bipartisan vote, bui Republican oppo-
nents accused Democrats ol trying to
get the political upper hand by draw ing
district boundaries that divide commu-
nities to protect Democratic incum-
bents.
The measure. House Bill 1515,
passed 81-20 and was sent to the
Senate.
The plan approved by the House in-
cluded changes requested by Ren Jim
Glover, D-Elgin. who complained
when his predominantly rural district
was extended to include parts of met-
ropolitan Oklahoma City.
rylcr said Ills district. No JO. tin
derweni "quite a bn of change." as he
"swapped out" 4.000 to 5.000 people
to maintain the integrity ol District No.
80 in lulsa. He said sub committee
members "shuffled the district in
Tulsa" a bit.
"I lost part of Glenpool. and Rep
(Todd) Ilieti (R Kelly'die) and. 1
swapped some folks. Iyler said.
With lines that were re drawn in
1990, Tyler's district was confined on
the west boundaries at Wal-niart.
"Not many people knew that, but
that’s where my district ended." lie-
said. "(Under the new House plan), we
went out Line Street and 91st Street to
177th West Avenue and back to
(Route) 66. It's just going to EIwixnI 111
south lulsa instead of Lewis, and I
tixik in around June Rose area
"I went way back out west, took in
Sapulpa people and people with com
mon interests."
Both houses will redraw U S con-
gressional district lines.
The Legislature will have a purlieu
tarty tough job in redrawing congres-
sional lines this year because the state-
lost one of its six congressional seats
due to federal reapportionment
2000 Census figures for Oklahoma
indicate that the 9.7 percent growth the
state experienced from 1999 to 2000
happened at tixi slow a rale to secure
the sixth seat.
Redistricting will give Oklahoma
its smallest congressional delegation m
90 years. The Iasi lime the state lost
representation in the House was in
1950, when it went from eight seats to
six.
Because the state's population will
now have to be divided among fewer
districts, those districts will have more
people in them Each vs ill have to have
ahout 690.000 residents, up from
550.000 in 1990
Work on congressional redistncttng
has moved slowly to date lhe new
congressional district map with five
U S' House of Representatives seats
Instead of six must be finished and
passed by the l egislature before next
year's congressional elections.
One thing of jxilitical interest to leg
islators will be- whether the next con-
gressman in lhe 1st District is a
Republican oi a Democrat.
Another issue is lulsa officials want
all of Tulsa County included in one dis
trict.
Oklahoma City is in parts of three-
districts — the 4th ‘hh and 6th. hut that
hasn't been a real concern to
Oklahoma City officials, said Sen.
Glenn Coffee, R Oklahoma City.
"I think most Oklahoma County leg
islators like the idea of having several
congressmen, said t offee. vice chair
man of the Senate Congressional
Redistricting Committee.
l he real problem facing those who
will draw the new map is having to pul
two incumbent congressmen into one
district
An earlier plan would have put Reps
Ernest Istook. R Warr Acres, and J.C
Watty. K Norman, in the same district
Coffee said he doesn't know who
would be pitted against whom when a
congressional district map is complet-
ed and passed.
"My goal is what makes sense geo-
graphically anil what is lair to a group
of people in the district, he said
In the Jan 8 special general election
in the 1st District. John Sullivan will
lace Doug Dodd, a Tulsa Democrat,
and independents David Fares and Neil
Mavis, both of Tulsa.
Iyler said he still recalls his first
brush with redistricting tri 1990 as a
second term legislator He said he had
no input whatsoever.
••The chairman gave me no input,
he said. "He |ust walked in and handed
nte a map and told me lhat what mv
district would be,"
■ The Assoc iated Press contributed
to thi s story.
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