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Children’s Book Review: The Things We Miss

By
Chloe Fuksa
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Author: Leah Stecher
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa, Putnam Six Bookstore

For my children’s book this month, I picked up Leah Stecher’s debut, The Things We Miss, released in May 2024. It is intended for ages 9-12, and it certainly doesn’t shy away from some heavier topics, like grief and depression and body image. I thought that the overall message it pulls from those topics, though, was really beautiful and a good reminder, for kiddos and adults alike.

J.P. and Kevin are best friends and ardent fans of Admiral K, a fictional comic book. J.P. is frequently bullied for her size, so she tends to wear drab clothes and just exist in the background, where her classmates won’t notice her. When she discovers that her backyard treehouse has a portal that can transport her three days into the future, it seems like her problems have been solved. She’s getting teased at school? She has a math quiz coming up? Her grandpa is sick? She can time travel right through all of that. Before long though, J.P.’s using the portal every single day. She doesn’t want to have to deal with any of the hard parts of life; it’s easier to just skip them. The effects of that, though, are her grades are failing, her friendships are crumbling, and she’s missing out on a lot of fun moments too. When she inadvertently skips over the Admiral K movie premiere that she and Kevin have been looking forward to for months, it’s the wake-up call she needs.

Perhaps it was just me, but the first part of the book was a little hard to get into. I thought, too, that the story could have used a little more humor to balance out the heavy topics. Again, though, as the book says, you can’t go downhill without having to go uphill too. Life is both the good and the bad, and therein lies its beauty. The Things We Miss isn’t a perfect book, but it is a pretty solid debut, and I think it can really resonate with a lot of youngsters.

Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of The Things We Miss today!

JUGS

By
Dalen McVay
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Howdy friends! Recently I was afforded the opportunity to do some jugline fishing at Kaw Lake. To be frank, I always thought of it as “lazy fishing”, but I can assure you it is not. This method of fishing uses lines suspended from floating “jugs” with cut bait on a hook at the bottom. I was lucky enough to simply go run the jugs instead of doing all the work to put them out the day before. We ran about forty jug lines with limited success. I’d imagine we caught ten or twelve blue cats and channel cats and one long nose gar. Each fisherman can put out twenty jugs with up to five hooks per line. Each individual jug has to have the owner’s name, address, and customer ID. Additionally, each jug has to be attended to at least once every twenty-four hours. I spend a lot of time on the lake, and nothing gets in my craw more than discarded or abandoned jug lines polluting the waters. Generally, the jugs are spread out over a sandy flat several yards apart.

The absolute best part of jug lining for me is seeing a jug moving or floating awkwardly knowing there is a fish on it as you arrive. A hook is used to grab the line, then the line is pulled in by hand (hopefully with a fish). If you are like me and love fried catfish, jug line fishing can put a lot of fish in your boat in a short amount of time. While critics contend jug fishers over-harvest fish, there is a reason the Wildlife Department has regulations. If those “in the know” believed the critics, the regulations wouldn’t allow twenty jugs per person.

Lastly, while it might seem like a good idea to slalom ski between the jugs, I’d suggest you don’t fall. You might just get to take a trip to the emergency room to have a hook removed. I’ve had to remove hooks before (thanks father-in-law), and it isn’t a pleasant situation.

Until next time folks. It’s ALMOST HUNTING SEASON!

PARK AVENUE THRIFT OUTDOOR OUTLET RETURNS FOR THE 3RD YEAR

By
Press Releases
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[Enid, OK] – Park Avenue Thrift will be hosting their 3rd annual Outdoor Outlet on Saturday, September 21st from 9am – 2pm, outside at 150 W. Park Street, just west of Park Avenue Thrift store. 

“The Outdoor Outlet was an event we started in 2022. It was a lot of fun and our thrifters loved it, so we knew it was something we wanted to continue to do each year in September,” said Stela Jantzen, Park Avenue Thrift Executive Director. “The idea was sparked while at a thrift conference we attended and seeing how much people loved bin shopping. This was our interpretation of how we can bring that to our community.” 

Park Avenue Outdoor Outlet is an outdoor fill-a-bag sale where you bring your own plastic grocery bag and fill it up with items that will be available for purchase at the event site. Clothing, housewares, media, linens, craft items, jewelry, electronics, hardware, and toys will be items for sale at the Outdoor Outlet. You are encouraged to bring your own plastic grocery bags, and whatever items you can fit in your bags will be $2 a bag. Grocery bags will be on hand at the event site for those who do not have one. 

“The Park Avenue crew always looks forward to this event, and loves the challenge of setting up and keeping the items stocked for shoppers. It’s so great to see the excitement of people sharing their finds with each other,” says Malvin Arter, Park Avenue Thrift Operations Manager. “Park Avenue employees will be on hand throughout the event to help answer any questions. Just look for the Park Avenue Crew t-shirt!”

There is no limit to how many plastic grocery bags you bring and fill. Cash/card accepted but cash preferred. Registers will be outside at the event so you can shop the Outlet then pay for your bag(s) at their outdoor checkout table. All items are first come, first serve, no holds, and all sales are final. Park Avenue Thrift asks that you do not take filled Outdoor Outlet bags inside the store.

“Since we have more space for our Outdoor Outlet at 150 W. Park Street, we invited friends to be a part of the fun. We will have El Monchis Snacks and Kona Ice set up selling delicious treats,” Jantzen says. 

Park Avenue Thrift is an Oklahoma 501(c)(3) that exists to strengthen the Enid community and serve others by collecting donations, running a top-notch thrift store, and giving the proceeds to Enid nonprofits that invest in quality-of-life initiatives.

To stay up to date with Park Avenue Thrift news, please visit the official Facebook or Instagram page for Park Avenue Thrift at  www.facebook.com/ParkAvenueThriftEnid or www.instagram.com/ParkAvenueThriftEnid.

Gooey Caramel Apple Pull Aparts

By
Emily LeBaron
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Hello friends! With Autumn right around the corner, it puts me in a “let’s turn the oven back on” mindset. Shifting from easy, cooler recipes like salads and fresh fruit to savory foods- crock pots, roasts, and desserts with hints of fall. Warm cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg seem to instantly bring the holidays closer, faster every year. September’s recipe is a twist on a classic breakfast (or any time snack- who are we kidding), bringing the traditional cinnamon roll level of mess and difficulty down a couple notches, which is always a win!

Now Serving, Gooey Caramel Apple Pull Aparts! Enjoy!

4 Nature’s Valley crunchy granola bars, crushed

2 tsp cinnamon, divided

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Two 17.5 oz cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls, with icing

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and coarsely chopped

1)  Heat oven to 350. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.

2)  In a small bowl, mix crushed granola bars and 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture evenly on bottom of bundt pan.

3)  In a large bowl, mix whipping cream, brown sugar, and remaining 1 tsp cinnamon.

4)  Open and separate both cans of cinnamon rolls, set icing containers aside. Cut each cinnamon roll into quarters.

5)  Gently add cinnamon roll quarters and chopped apples into the whipping cream mixture, fold to coat evenly. Spoon mixture into bundt pan, spreading evenly.

6)  Bake 45-50 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Immediately invert pan onto a heat proof platter and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove pan and scrape out any remaining topping onto rolls and let sit another 5 minutes. Drizzle icing over top of warm cinnamon rolls and serve!

Built Different

By
Robert Faulk
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As the only 6A-1 school in NW Oklahoma, and one of the few 6A-1 schools not near a major metropolitan area, Enid High Football has to rely on different strategies to be competitive – the main one being effort – which is the main part of the team’s core slogan – “Effortville.”

“For us to be successful, we have to give max effort, every day,” says 2nd year Head Coach Cameron Conder. “We have to be different than those other schools, because we are different. We have more two and three sport athletes, for example. So, when we are doing football things, we have to have that effort from all of our kids.”

And that is just what he has gotten from his players since the end of last season. “We had some good and some bad last year,” says Conder, “We really ran the ball a lot better than I expected, given that our top running back had so few carries going into the year. But we also struggled some on defense, mostly, I think, due to youth, being undersized, and running a new defensive scheme. We reached some of our goals, such as making the playoffs, and we had some good individual performances, but I expect more out of this year’s team.”

And this year’s team is not without its weapons. Especially on offense, as they return several excellently skilled players to the mix. Senior quarterback Aidan Robinson is coming off a midseason injury, that appears to be fully healed, and he will be relied upon to get the ball to 3 outstanding receivers, Senior Zyaire Allen, Sophomore Keon Young, and Junior Tyson Kennedy. “Zyaire has not missed a workout, has had a great summer, and his length and ability to catch the ball is really impressive. Keon has power 4 scholarship potential if he keeps improving, and Tyson is one of our captains, had 80 catches last year, and is on pace to set the state record for interceptions in a career. All have bright futures,” Conder said. 

With all the returning talent on the offensive side of the ball, one might expect some high-scoring shootouts, but that is something Coach Conder would like to avoid. “We are going to try to do some things on offense to protect our defense a bit and not put so much pressure on them. We have a great early schedule and hope to get some wins under our belt. Winning 6 games is not out of the question, we just need to give that extra effort,’ said Conder.  

6th Annual Walk for Jesus

By
Robert Faulk
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Walk for Jesus on the 2 mile track, Promoting Christian unity. We are simply demonstrating that Jesus is alive through gospel music, preaching and testimony.
There will be children’s games, bouncy house, free Tshirts and free lunch. Come enjoy the fellowship of the body of Christ. 

Meetings Made Easy

By
momentumHQ
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The conference room at momentumHQ has been well utilized since opening in February. From private meetings with our members and their clients to people needing a professional meeting space at the hourly rate of $25 every once in a while, it can fit everyone’s needs. There is a large screen TV for presentations, a conference phone line and dongle that allows multiple calls to connect in, and even an interactive desk with bicycle pedals for those who need to wiggle a bit in an extended meeting. The room can fit up to 12 people and has a fun mural design on the walls to keep things lively. If you find yourself frequently spending more than $25 meeting with clients at a coffee shop or over a lunch, we encourage you to utilize our conference room for your next meeting! Once you’re here, look around and discover which membership level is best for your business needs. With 24/7 access options, you can work whenever it makes sense for your schedule. Curious to look around without making a commitment? Book a tour at no charge at www.momentumHQ.org.

mHQ Member Highlight

JP&L Professional Services: Joelle Passerello

Joelle’s experience in the corporate world alongside becoming a mother allowed her to create her own business offering professional services at affordable rates. She can handle document creation, updating manuals and procedures, bookkeeping services, notary services, and more. If you find yourself in need of a fresh set of eyes to get over a hurdle to improve your business, give her a shout or stop in at momentumHQ to meet her. 

Indian Hills Plaza Business Spotlight Do you need a new screen for your cell phone? Or maybe your computer needs repaired? Reeves Technology Solutions is the place to take your electronics when they start to fall apart! Software and hardware can be addressed at Enid’s #1 Premier Repair Shop.

United Way Seeking Chili Chefs

By
Local Contributors
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ENID, OK – The 37th Annual United Way Chili Cook-Off, presented by Cintas, will be held at the Stride Bank Event Center Arena on Friday, October 25th, 11am -1pm, with the theme of “90s Chili Cook-Off.”  Organizers are seeking 50 cookoff teams.

Each chef and their team will prepare a minimum of 4 gallons of chili. It must be cooked in advance, brought in hot and ready to serve. Initial judging begins at 10:00 am. Booth spaces are first come, first served, unless you choose the “VIP Access” option for an additional $50.00, allowing early set-up on Thursday, October 24th from 2pm – 5pm. If you have a large item such as a vehicle, please call the office. Booths are approximately 8’x10’ with one large table provided.

ROASTERS ARE THE ONLY METHOD OF HEATING ALLOWED. (No additional electrical appliances are allowed, i.e., TVs, radios, crock pots, etc.) You will need to provide an extension cord and/or power strip at least 100 ft, tape to secure your cord to the floor, a long-serving spoon, cooking utensils, oven mitts, etc. You may also want to provide cheese, chips, or other condiments. Top Dollar Chili, which may include your company’s in–house chili fundraiser dollars, needs to be in a decorative container clearly stating such.

The theme, “90s Chili Cook-Off” is a new creation by the committee, Committee Chair Tiffany Sprague said. “The committee felt that the chosen theme needed to fit with United Way’s 90th Anniversary. So, we expect to see contestants decked out in classic and new character costumes with booths decorated with themes ranging from Clueless to Hip-hop. Our chili competitors are extremely inventive, and I’m sure will amaze us with their creativity—which leads to a fun-filled event,” Sprague said.

The Chili Cook-Off committee anticipates chili entries to compete in three categories: Judge’s Chili Choice, Best Decorated Booth and Top Dollar Chili! The tasting begins at 11am.

All funds raised benefit the 15 partner agencies of United Way, along with discretionary giving designations. 

David Lawrence, Board President of United Way of NW OK stated, “The United Way Board of Directors, along with the Campaign Team – led by Mike and Kelley Wright – also are excited about the 2024-2025 campaign. The Chili Cook-Off is the last fundraising event of the year for our agencies and the campaign. Last year’s event raised over $25,000. We anticipate this year will be an even greater success.”

The fifteen United Way partner agencies are: Booker T. Washington Community Center, Cimarron Council Boy Scouts of America, Community Development Support Association, Catholic Charities, Denny Price Family YMCA, Garfield County Child Advocacy Council, 4RKIDS, Hedges Speech and Hearing, Human Services Alliance of Greater Enid, Loaves and Fishes of NW Oklahoma, Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma, RSVP of Enid and North Central OK, The Salvation Army of Enid, YWCA of Enid, and Youth and Family Services.  

Get your team registered TODAY by stopping by the United Way office at 205 W. Maple Ave., Suite 400, in the Triangle Business Center, calling 580-237-0821, or emailing Kim Pendergraft at kim@unitedwayenid.org.

Keith Holsten – Local Legend

By
Alita Feek
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Keith Holsten has called Enid home for most of his life. He graduated from Enid High School and went on to earn a degree in marketing from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Keith and his wife, Ramey, are parents to four adult children and one adorable Great Pyrenees named Jasper.

Keith got his start in business with Edward Jones a little over 20 years ago. When the time was right, he branched out, first with a partner and then eventually hanging out his own shingle. Opening his own financial services business was a gamble. “It was a huge leap for him,” said Ramey, Keith’s wife. It paid off, though, and K/H Financial is a thriving part of the Enid business community.

Although K/H Financial won “Best Financial Planner” in this year’s Best of Enid awards, for Keith and the team at K/H, life is about so much more than business. Charitable giving is baked into the very fabric of K/H, and every year, the team gets together “where we set our goals for giving back,” explained Ramey. Some organizations that are particularly dear to Keith’s heart are 4RKids, the Enid SPCA, Main Street Enid, and Enid Public Schools (EPS). In fact, K/H has a special program called “Back a Teacher,” which is a grant program. Any EPS teacher can apply, and every month of the academic year, one lucky recipient is awarded $250 toward his or her classroom.

In his spare time, Keith enjoys spending time with his family, spoiling Jasper, and sailing. Yes, sailing. While there aren’t many opportunities to set sail here in Enid, that has not stopped Keith from indulging in his love of the water. Some years ago, he and his wife drove to Florida, bought a sailboat, and pulled it back to Oklahoma. The boat is now housed in a slip on Kaw Lake, and Keith hits the water whenever he can.

Like everyone featured in this column, Keith would never call himself a Local Legend. However, his drive, kindness, philanthropic efforts, and compassion definitely make him one. Ramey said, “He is very humble. He truly feels like his business is so successful because of his team. He likes people to know that he couldn’t do what he does by himself.”

Keith brings excellent business sense and financial advice to Enid. But more importantly, he brings a love of family and an unshakeable dedication to giving back to the community. And those things are what make Keith this month’s Local Legend.

September Letter from the Editor

By
Blake Reese
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Everything begins with a single step. Whether you’re reflecting on the past or looking forward to the future and setting goals, it all begins with a step. And that outlook can translate to all aspects of life. So, when you’re looking ahead, or behind, keep in mind that all progress is progress, even if that progress is small. For this month’s cover story, we’re discussing the Great Land Run race and its history along with stories from some of the runners. When thinking of running a half marathon or even a 5K, many people are simply intimidated by just the thought of it, but if the stories from some of the Great Land Run race runners highlight anything, it’s how their journey, too, began with just a step. So, when you’re tackling life and its many, many obstacles, remember that everything begins with just one step. And day by day, step by step, we’ll make it through the motions. And if you take your first step now, you might be ready to take on that half marathon for the Great Land Run race in 2025! After all, everything begins with a single step.

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