tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51153432952044837482024-03-17T22:03:15.385-05:00LeFlore County BlogsThese are blogs written by residents and former residents of LeFlore County. If you want to write a blog, just let me know via email and I will set you up. If you already have a blog, we will have a list on the Journal web site with other blogs. Send me the link and I will be happy to post it.Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-42424920497349603462012-08-20T07:23:00.000-05:002012-08-20T07:23:22.360-05:00Predicting the football finishes
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Predictions are like a person’s exterior region.<br />
<br />
As in, everybody has one.<br />
<br />
It’s the time of the year when newspapers and magazines are predicting the
expected outcomes of Oklahoma high school football districts.<br />
<br />
This is an inexact science, as you may recall.<br />
<br />
It’s a good thing people do not depend on these predictions for income. I know
I wouldn’t like that wager. There is no way to predict what a bunch of 15-18 year
olds will do.<br />
<br />
Factor in injuries, stage fright and much more and it becomes an impossible
call.<br />
<br />
Most of the predictions are based on either last year’s success or the number
of starters returning.<br />
<br />
I have looked over magazines and newspaper and decided to give you what they
say, and what I expect to happen.<br />
<br />
In 4A-4, Poteau is predicted to finish somewhere between third and sixth.
Everybody says the district winner will come from Sallisaw and Cascia Hall. It
is a tangled mess for the final two spots.<br />
<br />
Broken Bow is mentioned in most predictions based on the number of returning
starters, along with Fort Gibson, Poteau and Muldrow.<br />
<br />
I’m going with Cascia Hall to win the district with second-place coming down to
the Poteau and Sallisaw game, the district opener for both teams win week
four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t a homer pick, mind you,
but based on what I saw in the scrimmage last week and the Pirates’ performance
against Catoosa and Tulsa Memorial on Friday.<br />
<br />
The Pirates will have a good test when they host Mena on Thursday in their
final scrimmage.<br />
<br />
In 3A-8, county teams Spiro and Heavener will compete. Spiro is usually
mentioned in the top four while Heavener is near, or at the bottom. I think
Stigler will probably win the district with Spiro, Checotah and Valliant
competing for the final three spots.<br />
<br />
Vian is the overwhelming choice in 2A-6. Pocola was predicted to finish in the
top four in one poll I saw, but after the Wolverines and Hartshorne, the final
two spots are wide open. I expect Panama to open some eyes this year.<br />
<br />
Talihina is back in class A and predicted to finish behind Gore and Savanna.
Uh, wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a load of starters back
and dropping down a class, the Tigers will finish in the top two and wouldn’t
surprise me to win the district.<br />
<br />
Arkoma is picked in the top three of its district but has to replace a lot of
starters. Bokoshe is expected to finish near the bottom of the district.<br />
<br />
You can discuss the upcoming football season </span><a href="http://www.phpbbserver.com/leflorecountyjo/viewtopic.php?p=218&mforum=leflorecountyjo#218"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span></div>
Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-18887556767764837632012-08-17T07:08:00.002-05:002012-08-17T07:08:12.524-05:00And let the battle begin...
<br />
<div class="yiv568500900msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Imagine
you are at Friday Night Fights, or in this case, Oklahoma fights.<br />
<br />
In one corner, you have the powerful Oklahoma Tourism and Parks Department.<br />
<br />
And the challenger in the other corner, the people of LeFlore County,
represented by the Poteau Chamber of Commerce!<br />
<br />
The fight will be to decide if there will be a Christmas Light Display at
Wister Lake this year, or, more appropriately, will the tourism department
help, like they have done since the event originated in 2003.<br />
<br />
The first blow was delivered by the tourism department: No, there will be no
help! We don’t have the manpower to assist in the display. Do it yourself! We
will let you do it, but no help from us!<br />
<br />
The challengers came back with a request that isn’t it your job and duty to
actually support events like this, to bring tourists to Oklahoma? That is what the tourism department
is designed to do and our tax payers support your department.<br />
<br />
Tsk, tsk, the department shakes their head as they engage in a staredown. Don’t
these people learn? Can’t they remember the Runestone? We do what we want. The
governor is a buddy of our director, fools!<br />
<br />
But wait, the locals fire back, we raise money every year to buy more and
better displays. We don’t ask for your help in buying lights, just in putting
up and taking down the displays and lights. This brings people from as far away
as Arkansas to our state to visit and spend money, contributing to our state’s
economy.<br />
<br />
We will not use our manpower to put up or take down the lights, the tourism
department counters with an uppercut. Even though we have $300 gazillion hidden
away, we won’t spend the time or money for something in LeFlore County! What,
you think you people down there are important? <br />
<br />
The good people of LeFlore County are about to deliver a solid combination when
Rep. James Lockhart fights through the crowd to join the fracas. He sends a
solid right with a letter to the governor of the state, who will likely hide in
her office and not get involved, much like the way she did during the tourism
department’s foolish decision to close state parks.<br />
<br />
The tourism department takes Rep. Lockhart’s fight and counters with the old we
are losing money at the park and have had to take a 22 percent cut in the
department! <br />
<br />
The fight continues, but winds up in a draw! </span></div>
<div class="yiv568500900msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There are no winners. The tourism
department slips out the side door without making any changes. The chamber
forges ahead with plans to try and keep the display, even without the help of
our tourism department.<br />
<br />
And once again, LeFlore County and its people are ignored.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-84818742864637160922012-08-16T06:06:00.002-05:002012-08-16T06:06:36.978-05:00Save the lights!<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The Heavener Runestone is one of Oklahoma’s better
attractions.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, in the summer of 2011, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Oklahoma Parks and Recreation washed its
hands of the park and six others around the state. The city of Heavener is
responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and advertising.<br />
<br />
Now, one of the county’s more popular events is in danger of shutting down.<br />
<br />
Since 2003, thousands of local and not-so-local residents have visited Wister
Lake to drive through the beautiful Christmas Light display on Quarry Island.<br />
<br />
See <a href="http://leflorecountyjournal.com/2012/08/15/wister-lake-light-display-in-jeopardy/"><span style="color: blue;">STORY</span></a><br />
<br />
It is a great way to bring visitors to the county, who can see a great display
and hopefully shop in the county.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, park officials have notified organizers the staff will no longer
help in putting up the display or taking it down after the tour ends.<br />
<br />
Who is to blame? A person close to the situation says it is split between local
and state officials.<br />
<br />
Sure, this is more work for the workers at the lake, in addition to their other
duties. <br />
<br />
But isn’t it worth it?<br />
<br />
Think this would happen if it was a park in Oklahoma City? I don’t.<br />
<br />
Organizers are hoping to save the display, which they have worked extremely
hard to grow each year. Volunteers greet the visitors at the entrance to the
display and the guests give donations to help maintain and add more lights.<br />
<br />
Some of the lights from last year were never even taken down.<br />
<br />
So unless something is changed, if you want to see an excellent Christmas light
display, be prepared to travel to Muskogee or some other distant location come
December.<br />
<br />
If you want to help save the Christmas Lights at Wister Lake, contact the
Poteau Chamber of Commerce at (918) 647-9178.<br />
<br />
You can also contact the Oklahoma Parks and Recreation Department at (800)
652-6552 or by email at</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> <a href="mailto:information@travelok.com"><span style="color: blue;">information@TravelOK.com</span></a>.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-39366936678615037622012-08-14T06:45:00.002-05:002012-08-14T06:45:45.761-05:00A strange request<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Since April, I have been publishing <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/"><span style="color: blue;">oksportsreview.com</span></a>, a website about
Oklahoma sports from the pros down to high schools.<br />
<br />
The site has stories and links to other stories on Oklahoma sports, including
teams and players with ties to our state. Many of the state’s teams and schools
send me their press releases and I post them.<br />
<br />
All the stories are broken down by sport, along with team or school. I am
working on updating high school scores by school and have got most of the
Heavener information published. The Heavener page has 99.9 percent of the
football scores back to 1926, along with pictures, stories, coaching records
and much more.<br />
<br />
You can see the Heavener page <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/the-scoreboard/high-school-football-scores/heavener-wolves/"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.
Eventually, I hope to have the same sort of page set up for each school in the
state.<br />
<br />
The website has not caught on like I expected. I blame this on bad marketing on
behalf of the publisher.<br />
<br />
Over the weekend, I purchased a book on marketing. So I have been reading up on
marketing, looking for a way to spread information about the site and get the
word out.<br />
<br />
I have been posting updates to oksportsreview.com’s <a href="http://www.facebook.com/oksportsreview"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook page</span></a> and the Google
+ page, and sent out some emails to get people to visit the site and read the
stories.<br />
<br />
Last night, I woke up about an hour after falling asleep with a strange idea. I
would send out an email to one friend, ask him to send out emails to anybody he
knows might be interested in the site, and ask them to do the same.<br />
<br />
I would ask that if they like the site to do the whole like thing on the site’s
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/oksportsreview"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook page</span></a> and see if
and how many people liked the site and how many hits the site received. And also
to request they also forward the request to the people who are interested in
sports, especially Oklahoma sports.<br />
<br />
Plus, I decided to write this blog to help. Currently, the site has 50 fans.
But instead of just sending out the email to the person, who is still
considered a friend but who might reconsider after this request, I ask that you
do the same.<br />
<br />
Visit the site. If you like it, please like it on Facebook and share a link to
this blog with anybody you think might be interested and ask them to do the
same. Then ask them to repeat and keep it going.<br />
<br />
I will report back the results, whether they are great or it was a waste of
time.<br />
<br />
Plus, I have even a stranger idea in the works for next week.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-55742327407806180362012-08-13T07:14:00.003-05:002012-08-13T07:18:39.164-05:00A new addition to the Journal...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The LeFlore County
Journal will turn three years old in the middle of September.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, we have a good base of readers who click on <a href="http://leflorecountyjournal.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://leflorecountyjournal.com</span></a>
every day, or at least several days a week.<br />
<br />
Then, there are the occasional clickers to the Journal.<br />
<br />
To all of you, I can’t tell you how much you are appreciated. (P.S. I would appreciate you even more if you share the Journal with friends, neighbors, relatives and people you meet at the store)<br /><br />
Because without you (and my great advertisers!), there would not be a leflorecountyjournal.com.<br />
<br />
Back in 2009 when the Journal was first launched, I described the site
basically as an online newspaper.<br />
<br />
But that description did not fit then, and really does not fit anymore. The
Journal isn’t a newspaper, of course, even an online one.<br />
<br />
It took a while to figure that one out. We are a website to inform and
hopefully entertain our readers.<br />
<br />
I want to get the news, sports and information out to you readers, both first
and best. That’s our biggest advantage over our friends at other media
companies. And I want to offer additional services you will not find by opening
a newspaper.<br />
<br />
That includes photo galleries and my latest offering, video. That is our new
and hopefully big addition to the Journal in coming months.<br />
<br />
In addition to stories and photo galleries, I will be adding video to a lot of
the stories on the Journal, especially sports.<br />
<br />
I must caution that I am not a professional videographer, which is plain to
see. Saturday was my first real experiment adding video to a story as I went to
the Poteau Red-White football scrimmage and embedded the video clip to the
story.<br />
<br />
You can see the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv99ieDTyXY&feature=plcp"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.<br />
<br />
For the Journal to continue to grow and reach more people, we have to offer the
things people like. That includes stories, photographs and now, video.<br />
<br />
Hopefully you like the new addition. Also, when we switched software and hosts
last year, I did not include the link to the Journal’s forum.<br />
<br />
But I am also bringing it back out of the dreaded mothballs so our readers can
discuss issues with each other. It has never caught on like I expected, but
hopefully it will now.
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.phpbbserver.com/leflorecountyjo/index.php?mforum=leflorecountyjo"><span style="color: blue;">Here
is the link to the Journal’s forum</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Please take part in it, but keep it civil.<br />
<br />
As always, I like to hear from you. If you have comments, suggestions or
advice, please send an email to craig@leflorecountyjournal.com.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-76668824905918819682012-08-10T07:33:00.002-05:002012-08-10T07:33:31.839-05:00See ya, summer siesta<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The summer siesta, as if, is officially over.<br />
<br />
The summer used to be a time to catch my breath here at Journal world
headquarters, but no longer. No games to cover, but a lot more content comes
through the inbox and the new website <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://oksportsreview.com</span></a>
is growing bigger each day.<br />
<br />
Check it out. Now. Or, at least as you finish reading this insightful column.
It’s stories about Oklahoma sports, from the professionals to the high schools.
And, a special bonus, no Arkansas crud!<br />
<br />
Schools have already started or will soon. Trish the Wife no longer can sleep
until noon since she is busy educating students.<br />
<br />
It is still hot, like you didn’t know that, but cooler temperatures should
arrive by, say Thanksgiving.<br />
<br />
The monsoon season for LeFlore County arrived on Wednesday, at least for a day.
There were winds blowing up to 75 mph in Poteau with rain coming down in
sheets. You can check out the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdJRzwS6fA4&feature=player_embedded"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.
I almost broke an arm off by simply opening the door, got a wind gust and
soaked in approximately half a second.<br />
<br />
Several trees were lost at Choctaw Country Club and houses in south Poteau were
damaged by the high winds.<br />
<br />
Typically, we don’t have to worry about those types of weather outbreaks this
time of the year. We just have to worry about if we will get any rain during
August.<br />
<br />
Everybody is complaining about the heat and saying it’s because of global
warming. Okay. Each day in our weather forecast on the Journal, I list the
record highs for the particular date. <br />
<br />
Several days recently, the record high was from the dreaded summer of 2011. But
there have also been record highs from back in 1936 of well over 100 degrees.<br />
<br />
I didn’t suffer through that summer. My parents were only a year old so they
weren’t even dreaming about having a child, even one as brilliant as, uh, my
brother Brian. Speaking of brother Brian, he just had his 51<sup>st</sup>
birthday yesterday. I used to think people of our age group were pretty much
ancient.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, my view has not changed. <br />
<br />
Think it’s rough now? Air conditioning was rare in most homes and business
offices back in those dark ages. I imagine the body odor factor was rather pungent, even more
so than now, eh?<br />
<br />
For those of you bored about the dog days of summer, there are plenty of
activities coming up (which you can read about in our <a href="http://leflorecountyjournal.com/2012/08/10/leflore-county-calendar-of-events-16/"><span style="color: blue;">county
calendar</span></a>!) with fastpitch softball games already being played and football
coming soon. <br />
<br />
So far, we just have the practices. But the scrimmages start next week and the
first game for county teams is Aug. 30 when those fighting Panama Razorbacks
host Gore. The other county teams get started the following night.<br />
<br />
Plus, you Poteau Pirate fans out there can get a preview Saturday night when
the Red-White scrimmage is held at 7 p.m. at Costner Stadium. </span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-38325740299288300522012-07-16T06:16:00.001-05:002012-07-16T06:16:14.956-05:00Great year for OK Kids teams<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">It’s hard to make a
state tournament in any sport.<br />
<br />
That is true in basketball and baseball, even in the OK Kids leagues.<br />
<br />
This was a banner year for LeFlore County and the future of baseball in our
county looks good.<br />
<br />
LeFlore County was represented in all four divisions at the OK Kids State
Baseball Tournament.<br />
<br />
Heavener Thunder advanced to the state tournament in coach-pitch, Poteau had
two teams in the pee wee state tournament while the Poteau Pirates made it to
the midget state tournament and Wister fielded a team in the preps state
tourney.<br />
<br />
But even better, two of those teams brought home state championships.<br />
<br />
The Heavener Thunder won the first state championship in OK Kids baseball with
a 19-17 win over Hollis on Saturday. Heavener was undefeated in the tournament
and not really challenged until the finals.<br />
<br />
Head coach David Grubbs said his team won over 50 games and lost just three,
only one to an OK Kids team.<br />
<br />
The Poteau Buccaneers were the second county team to win a state championship.
The Buccaneers closed out a perfect season with a 4-2 win over the Shawnee
Spikes to capture the pee wee state championship.<br />
<br />
Until the finals, the Buccaneers’ closest game at the state tournament was the
opening round against the Poteau Rebels.<br />
<br />
The Poteau midget team lost its opening game to eventual state champion Clinton
White, but bounced back to win a game before being eliminated.<br />
<br />
And while Wister failed to win a game in the state tournament, both games were
close contests.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
Plus, the Heavener Hotties finished second in the OK Kids softball state tournament.</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-65473817074775481052012-07-12T07:04:00.003-05:002012-07-12T07:04:19.378-05:00Smart phone? No thanks...<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I remember how
excited I was back in November of 2011.<br />
<br />
I was getting a smart phone! Wow! I could get on the internet on my phone and
do so many things with it!<br />
<br />
The Craigman with a smart phone! I thought of all the hours of enjoyment the
phone would bring and…then I got it.<br />
<br />
I consider myself a fairly intelligent techno person. But the problems started
early and continued. I had problems with the battery running out after
approximately five hours, going over my allowed internet use when I didn’t use
the internet.<br />
<br />
Trish the wife complained about the extra cost, especially the overage. I paid
around $200 for the phone, and soon after buying the device, saw the price drop
to $100, and then even lower. Aargh.<br />
<br />
And I figured out pretty quickly that I really did not enjoy looking at the
internet on a small device when I typically was on the computer for some 10
hours a day already. If I needed to look something up on the internet, I could
do it most of the time by walking into the office of LeFlore County Journal
world headquarters or at work.<br />
<br />
So the whole smart phone for a dumb Craig did not really work that great.<br />
<br />
I received notice last month that I could upgrade my phone. I did, sort of, by
downgrading my phone.<br />
<br />
Now, I am probably one of the few people in history who have gone from a
regular cell phone to a smart phone, and now dropped back to a regular cell
phone.<br />
<br />
My smart phone was good for calls and texting, which is primarily why I have a
cell phone. I might be a tad bit dumb when it comes to smart phones, but I
figured out I could probably do the same thing with a regular cell phone and
not have to worry about going over my tiny allotment of internet time.<br />
<br />
I went and got my new phone the other day, even received in some trade in for
my old phone. Bonus, by gosh!<br />
<br />
I had to sign a new extension and paid a whopping $1.06 for the phone. The
battery life is much better. The reception in our house usually stinks (get
that fixed AT&T!), but the new phone seems to get much better reception. I
was able to take a call last night and not have to walk outside.<br />
<br />
And, best of all, it wasn’t a hassle to get it done. I was actually able to
talk to a person at the Best Buy Mobile store at the mall. I didn’t have to
make a call, listen to all the voice mail prompts, try to understand an
individual from some foreign country speaking jibberish English, or wait for
the phone to arrive.<br />
<br />
Very nice. Now, if I can just figure out how to make this phone work…<o:p></o:p></span><br />Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-5551477085747895702012-07-06T06:44:00.001-05:002012-07-06T06:44:11.566-05:00The alumni are coming!<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Hundreds
of new and old alumni will descend upon Heavener this hot weekend to catch up
with old friends at the Heavener Alumni Reunion.<br />
<br />
Every other summer the alumni get together for a street dance, parade, class
parties and a banquet, thanks to a lot of hard work by a lot of people.<br />
<br />
Our class held its 30<sup>th</sup> reunion this past fall so I doubt there will
be a lot of activity for the all-time greatest class at Heavener, the Class of
1981.<br />
<br />
But it always amazes me what a big deal this is for a lot of people. Alumni
travel from near and far, as in very far, to prove you can return home, at
least for a short time.<br />
<br />
Yeah, home has changed a lot over the years. But the memories are still there
of snake dances, Liberty Theater, cruising from one end of downtown and back, football
games, teachers, events and so much more.<br />
<br />
Once again, grads will return to a place that helped make them what they are.
They will see all the changes at the school, cruise through town and remember
when this was here and that was there, and think back to spending some of the
best years of their lives in this little town at the base of Poteau Mountain.<br />
<br />
I have been fortunate to meet a lot of people over the years, and some of them
I consider friends. But my closest friends have always been, and will be, those
who once wore the purple and gold and knew the words to Allegiance to old
Heavener High and wondered what exactly </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">High-rickety-whoop-dee-do actually meant</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">.<br />
<br />
So welcome back all you other ex-Wolves and I hope you enjoy your return home.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-72517229075608159192012-06-26T06:53:00.002-05:002012-06-26T06:53:36.863-05:00Go vote!<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Go vote!<br />
<br />
Now, not later. And certainly not when and if you get around to it.<br />
<br />
An individual’s right to vote is one of the biggest privileges we have.<br />
<br />
People have died so we have the right to vote for who we want to represent us
in our government.<br />
<br />
And still, the voter turnout is usually low.<br />
<br />
That is a shame. I have been guilty of this, as well, at times when the
election did not seem important or I didn’t care about the question or the
candidates.<br />
<br />
But no more.<br />
<br />
If there is an election, I will do my best to vote starting today.<br />
<br />
You can vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your local precinct. It doesn’t matter if
you are a supporter of only one candidate or have a good grasp on all the
elections.<br />
<br />
Go vote.<br />
<br />
We have the opportunity to vote for who will possibly represent us in the state
house, a congressman, sheriff and county clerk and more, depending on where you
live in our fine county<br />
<br />
No governor or president, but it is still an important election.<br />
<br />
I will be casting my vote during my lunch hour, unless somehow I can get around
to it before going to work.<br />
<br />
Hopefully, a lot of county residents will take advantage of this opportunity
and let their voice and vote be heard.<br />
<br />
This is the first of possibly three elections spanning the rest of 2012. There
could be a runoff election in August with the general election in November.<br />
<br />
And remember to take some form of identification, either a state or government
issued identification or your voter card. <br />
<br />
We will post updates from the election board as the results start coming in on
the Journal’s <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LefloreCountyJournal"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook
page</span></a> so you can get updates as they are reported.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-60397731972880230352012-06-25T06:29:00.000-05:002012-06-25T06:34:11.618-05:00Let's golf...in 107 degrees?<span class="yiv1583694022grame"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I found out Friday I get to play in the
Poteau Chamber of Commerce golf tournament today.<br />
<br />
Yes!<br />
<br />
I do enjoy my golf, especially the better tournaments such as the Chamber’s
golf outing.<br />
<br />
This morning, I was updating the weather forecast for the Journal.<br />
<br />
Going to be sunny, okay, kind of expected that.<br />
<br />
No chance of rain, always a good sign when one is going to hit the links.<br />
<br />
Hmm, let’s see about the temperature…107! <br />
<br />
Egad! Is that a typo? Has some weather dude, or dudess messed up. Negative. <br />
<br />
That 107 degrees, ladies and gents, will set a new record for June 25. <br />
<br />
I don’t know that I have ever golfed when it is 107 degrees. Last year when it
got so hot, I traded in the golf for air conditioning.<br />
<br />
Of course, it will be cooler up on Wolf Mountain. <br />
<br />
Right? <br />
<br />
Good breeze, can’t forget about that. But then again, since it is up on a
mountain, wouldn’t it be warmer since we are closer to the sun?<br />
<br />
I have already planned for my attack against the heat. Cool clothes, hat, ice,
lots of water, and seek out shade at every opportunity.<br />
<br />
My choice of liquid refreshment has changed to water. And lots of it. No heat
stroke for Craig!<br />
<br />
What happened to the milder summer? I’m extremely sorry, but 107 degrees in
June is not mild in any shape or form.<br />
<br />
The poor yard is already parched. Heck, I even started watering last night to
try and save the grass. Typically, I just let it die so I don’t have to mow.<br />
<br />
I fear if this is a teaser of things to come, there isn’t enough water in
Wister Lake, or its tributaries, to save our grass.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, the forecast calls for cooler temperatures on Tuesday. Cooler as
in 102 degrees. I doubt that will bring out the return of a jacket.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-72008926606207236422012-06-18T06:31:00.002-05:002012-06-18T06:36:31.661-05:00Send us your scores<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">With the summer slowdown firmly set upon us, I
have been spending quite a bit of time adding old football scores to my new
website <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/"><span style="color: blue;">oksportsreview.com</span></a>.<br />
<br />
I had a bunch of scores from county schools and others from around the state
last year when I had to shut the site down.<br />
<br />
Now, I am rebuilding all the information and I could use your help.<br />
<br />
I have not posted them yet, but do have all the football scores from county
teams back to 2004. I have <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/?page_id=376"><span style="color: blue;">Poteau’s
scores</span></a> posted back to then. Here is the <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/?page_id=366" target="_blank">link</a> to the section on high school football scores<br />
<br />
I have more scores from Heavener than any other school, since I once did
research and came up with most of the scores going back to the 1930s. You can
see the Heavener scores I have posted <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/?page_id=368"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.<br />
<br />
I have the scores posted back to 1990 as I write this, but have several years
missing. I am going to post all the information I have from Heavener before
starting on the other schools.<br />
<br />
So, I need your help. If you have scores from any of the county or state teams,
please send an email to craig@oksportsreview.com.<br />
<br />
Eventually, I hope to have scores posted for all the state schools, although
that will take a lot of time and help.<br />
<br />
If you see a year, or game missing, please let me know. I would also appreciate
it if you would pass this on to any friends who might have this information.<br />
<br />
I continue to post the top Oklahoma sports stories every day on the site, but
the old football scores will probably be the most popular part of the website.<br />
<br />
Also, if you have old pictures from football games, please send them along also.
I do have some pictures from a bunch of old Heavener games and players, but
would like to have them from other schools as well.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-3088283487083509902012-06-15T05:56:00.001-05:002012-06-15T05:56:21.139-05:00Let the people, er, candidates speak!<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Despite the obvious Thunder obstacle, the
political forum went on as planned Thursday and a good crowd flocked into the
Reynolds Center to see and listen to local, state and national candidates.<br />
<br />
Prior to the start of the forum, I mentioned to a couple of friends that at
approximately 7:50 p.m., it would look like Moses parted the Red Sea as the
crowd disappeared in search of a television to watch Game 2 of the NBA Finals
between the Thunder and the Heat.<br />
<br />
We did lose a few, but most of the crowd stayed for the entire forum.<br />
<br />
And they got a final look and chance to listen to many of the candidates
running for positions in the upcoming Primary Election on June 26.<br />
<br />
We got to hear some good speakers…and some that were not as polished.<br />
<br />
Candidates talked about the usual hot button topics like jobs, taxes, water and
the like.<br />
<br />
The current office holders talked about the progress that had been made during
their terms while those seeking the office preferred to look forward.<br />
<br />
For the most part, it was a civil evening. Nobody nodded off, at least no
snores could be heard from the audience.<br />
<br />
One of the best parts of the evening was hearing Pansy Kidd student Talynn
Barnes sing the National Anthem.<br />
<br />
Then, we got to meet the candidates as they all gave a short introduction and
asked for our vote.<br />
<br />
There seemed to be a general consensus among 99.9 percent of the candidates that
more and better jobs are needed, that big government is BAD, water in
southeastern Oklahoma needs to stay here and not be sold or given to Texas or
Oklahoma City, the economy is not all that great and nobody likes or wants to
burden the good people of southeastern Oklahoma with more taxes.<br />
<br />
We got to hear candidates for county clerk, county commissioner in District 2,
county sheriff, state senate, state representative and congress.<br />
<br />
All the candidates were given a chance to introduce themselves. Only those
candidates who are involved with the Primary Election answered questions from
the panel consisting of representatives from the Poteau Daily News and Sun,
Oklahoma Welcome, LeFlore County Journal, Spiro Graphic and Heavener Ledger.<br />
<br />
The event was put on by the Poteau Chamber of Commerce and the PDNS, while
Central National Bank was gracious enough to sponsor the event.<br />
<br />
Former state senator Kenneth Corn was the emcee for the event while James Smith
did a good job timing the speakers.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-44843642043245121072012-06-14T07:20:00.002-05:002012-06-14T07:20:34.195-05:00Political forum tonightThe
political forum will be held Thursday at the new Reynolds Center in Poteau.<br />
<br />
This is the third forum that I have helped “moderate”.<br />
<br />
There were two of them during the last rash of elections two years ago.<br />
<br />
Kudos to the Poteau Chamber of Commerce and Poteau Daily News for organizing
the event and to Central National Bank for sponsoring it.<br />
<br />
I expect most of the candidates running for local office, along with the state
representative and even some of the Congressional candidates will honor us with
their presence.<br />
<br />
This is a really good way to compare the apples to apples (or candidates vs.
the other candidates). <br />
<br />
All the candidates will be given a chance to introduce themselves and answer
questions that have been submitted by the citizens.<br />
<br />
During the last forums, we took questions from the audience, but that was not
real easy to do. Of course, we did get some off-the-wall questions. I was the
question booter last time. Hopefully this will have been done prior to the
forum this time.<br />
<br />
This will be one of the last times for the voters to listen to the candidates
prior to the June 26 Primary Election. <br />
<br />
The thing I like about these forums is you get a chance to see the candidates
grouped together. We can gauge how well they speak, appearance and their
knowledge of things the voters are interested in.<br />
<br />
If it is anything like the last forums, some of the candidates will be well
prepared while one or two might get caught with the old deer in the headlights
look.<br />
<br />
The forum starts at 6:30 p.m., which gives us roughly an hour and 30 minutes
before the crowd disappears to check out the Thunder in the NBA finals.<br />
<br />
I think it would be interesting to throw in some really wacko questions like if
you were an animal, which animal would you be?<br />
<br />
But I doubt the other media representatives would go for that.<br />
<br />
So check it out tonight and get a look at our future leaders. <br />Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-88120513348416708532012-06-13T06:45:00.001-05:002012-06-13T06:45:31.513-05:00We be streaming<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Perhaps, I am a bit out of touch.<br />
<br />
Okay, I am a lot out of touch on a lot of things.<br />
<br />
But last week, we finally got streaming service at our house.<br />
<br />
We were even behind by mother, who was been watching movies and other stuff
streamed over the internet for way over a year.<br />
<br />
My brother, Brian, upgraded some electronic device and no longer needed his
Roku player so we received a hand-Craig-down electronic device.<br />
<br />
I had signed up for Amazon Prime back when Trish the Wife purchased me a Kindle
Fire for Christmas, but I had not used it much for the video stuff. It was
tough for me and my aging eyes to watch movies or anything on something with
that small of a screen.<br />
<br />
I do enjoy reading on the Fire, though, and do some surfing on it.<br />
<br />
After we figured out how to make the Roku work, we looked for something to
watch. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">And kept looking for something to watch.<br />
<br />
That is a big problem in the Hall household. There is a big choice of stuff to
watch and it is hard to pull the trigger on one thing, worried there might be a
better choice available if you keep going through all the available shows.<br />
<br />
For two nights, we watched old horror movies from the 1980s. The first was the
original The Fog and the next night we watched Silver Bullet.<br />
<br />
Both movies were far scarier than any of the crud which is put out now.<br />
<br />
The special effects are not so special and some of the acting is not the best (Think
Gary Busey. Enough said). But both movies were still enjoyable to watch.<br />
<br />
One thing I did notice quickly was the movies back then did not feel the need
to drop a F-bomb every other word. They might throw in a Hoover Dam (take out
the Hoover and add an “n” to the last word), but none of the F-this or other
words which most directors and writers seem to think need to be included now to
qualify for an R-rating.<br />
<br />
I also watched a documentary Sunday morning which was very good.<br />
<br />
Brian says we need to add Netflix, but there is so much available through
Amazon Prime that it will be a while before that is necessary.<br />
<br />
You can rent movies which aren’t included among the free stuff available
through membership in Prime, including many new releases. The movies cost a
little more than they do at Blockbuster, but you don’t have to waste time
driving to and from the video store.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-14217271409032457352012-06-12T07:18:00.000-05:002012-06-12T07:18:02.741-05:00Signs, signs...everywhere a sign<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cErNc0HEG58/T9czZrxH6MI/AAAAAAAAAOc/32KMDElTaHU/s1600/pod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cErNc0HEG58/T9czZrxH6MI/AAAAAAAAAOc/32KMDElTaHU/s320/pod.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />Everywhere one goes in LeFlore County, it isn’t
the Scissortail Flycatcher or the wildflowers that catches our eyes.<br />
<br />
Nope. <br />
<br />
It is the campaign signs urging us to vote for this political candidate or that
political candidate.<br />
<br />
I try to ignore them, and do for the most part. But they are still irritating.<br />
<br />
And do they work? Would somebody actually vote for a person just because they
saw his or her campaign sign?<br />
<br />
I can just image somebody driving down the road and they see a colorful sign. “Lookie
there, woman!” the man says while pausing to spit in his spit can. “Now that
there’s a pretty sign! I’m a gonna vote for him (or her)!”<br />
<br />
Maybe that happens. Let’s hope not. <br />
<br />
I know, the signs are for name recognition. Political candidates and their
supporters feel like the more signs they have out, the better chance they have
to win the upcoming election.<br />
<br />
The only people winning from all the signs are the sign makers.<br />
<br />
I would love to see some town or city ban all political signs. It won’t happen
since the people making those decisions will probably have to post similar
signs for the next election.<br />
<br />
But it would be nice.<br />
<br />
Maybe I am in the minority, but I have never and hopefully will never vote for
somebody because of a sign.<br />
<br />
I prefer to vote for the person who makes the best impression and believes in
the same things I do, not because they have the most signs or the prettiest
sign. <br />
<br />
And we still have the phone calls, both recorded and live, from the candidates
and their supporters urging us to vote for their favorite candidate to look
forward to as we move closer to the election on June 26.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-77674157164212254002012-06-11T07:02:00.001-05:002012-06-11T07:02:24.861-05:00A trip to Cedar LakeTrish the Wife and I took four kiddoes to Cedar Lake on
Saturday.<br />
<br />
It’s hard for me to turn down a trip to Cedar Lake, even on a hot afternoon
where there will be lots of people and a lot of noise<br />
<br />
I’m still not used to the new access road to the lake, but it would probably be
fun to drive in a sports car.<br />
<br />
Since two of the little ones were…little, we went to the sandy side.<br />
<br />
After we parked, I went to pay and bonus! It was a free day. Nice.<br />
<br />
We unloaded all the crud and before Trish and I could even get seated, the
little ones were in the lake.<br />
<br />
Many others had made the same choice as we had to spend a Saturday afternoon at
the lake.<br />
<br />
There have been a lot of improvements at Cedar Lake over the years. Just on the
sandy side, there is a fishing deck just off to the side and a concrete walkway
down to the lake.<br />
<br />
There is also some playground equipment to entertain the children when they get
tired of swimming. New bathrooms, grills and much more.<br />
<br />
Every time I visit Cedar Lake, I remember all the time I have spent there over
the years. I remember camping, swimming, jumping off the dock for the first
time, fishing with my dad, exploring the trails and so much more.<br />
<br />
I can still remember the spot where we camped on a memorable visit back in the
fall of 1971. We camped on the dock side and my father and I listened to the
OU-Texas football game on an old radio while sitting in lawn chairs.<br />
<br />
It took me a while to realize why he got so excited when OU scored or made a
big play since I was only eight at the time. It didn’t take me long to figure
it out, though.<br />
<br />
All four of the kids had a good time, especially the little ones. Trish had
gotten some water guns and balls that float on water. The little ones would
throw the ball and race to see who could retrieve them first.<br />
<br />
Some older kids would climb up on the poles and jump into the water, just like
we used to do a long time ago. A couple of the kids hunted for crawdads while
dads got out in the water and tossed their kids or took turns splashing and
getting splashed.<br />
<br />
No video games or phones, for a little while at least. Just summer fun the way
it should be.<br />Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-63835166659819645662012-06-08T05:34:00.000-05:002012-06-08T05:34:48.377-05:00The drive-in experience<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
couple of weeks ago, we were sitting at home watching a movie with some friends
and somebody suggested we go to the Tower Drive-In to watch a movie.<br />
<br />
Since the movie we were not exactly enjoying was not one of the best flicks
ever, we agreed to go and watch a double feature offering Men in Black III and
Ghostrider, the sequel.<br />
<br />
It was around 7:30 or so and the movie wouldn’t start until around 8:40ish. No
need to hurry, plenty of the time.<br />
<br />
So we split up to get ready and decided to meet at the drive-In.<br />
<br />
We loaded up some lawn chairs in the back of the Craigmobile (not to be
confused with the Batmobile), and made the short drive to the Tower, expecting
to leisurely make our way in, pick out a good parking spot and enjoy a night of
watching movies under the stars.<br />
<br />
As I drove up the lane, I realized the plans might not go as expected. There
were already well over a hundred vehicles parked and waiting for the movie and
several autos waiting in line.<br />
<br />
Uh-oh, I thought and probably said, but can’t remember. I pulled out the phone
and gave our friends a call telling them to get those rears in gear and hurry
up.<br />
<br />
Kids and some not-quite kids were playing down at the bottom down by the
screen. I didn’t see any parking spots until we got to the top, and then, there
weren’t all that many.<br />
<br />
We paid and made out way into the lot to find a spot. I deftly parked at a spot
in the upper corner, using my years of driving experience. <br />
<br />
After I had to repark after the Trish the Wife was not exactly impressed with
my parking, I got out and moved our chairs to an adjacent spot to save one for
the Perdues, the Andy and Brenda variety. <br />
<br />
“Gosh, there are a lot of people here,” I said. Trish said something
appropriate like “duh”.<br />
<br />
After I got comfortable in my chair, she decided it was time for some goodies.
I had noticed the line was quite lengthy on the way in and suggested she go to
the concession stand while I guarded the extra spot for the Perdues, but was
given a wife veto and sent on my way in search of popcorn and a soft drink.<br />
<br />
I ran into a couple I know (not literally) and mentioned how surprised I was to
see this many people since my last visit was to watch Twister, which according
to my friend Google came out in 1996.<br />
<br />
Being veteran drive-In attendees, they said it was like this all the time. I
thought they were joking.<br />
<br />
Nope. Then, they said they arrived at 6:30 that night to make sure to get a
good spot.<br />
<br />
Serious. <br />
<br />
And I found out later that people actually had to be turned away the previous
weeks when Avengers was showing. I also discovered the concession stand offered
a lot more than I expected with hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes and more,
not just candy, drinks and popcorn.<br />
<br />
Gosh, I felt like an idiot. I thought drive-in movies were on their last legs
with DVDs, movies on smart phones and tablets, etc.<br />
<br />
Not hardly. People still dug watching movies outside, just like they did back
in the 1950s and 1960s. The biggest difference is you don’t have to attach a
speaker to your window like you did back then. You turn the old radio dial to a
certain frequency and hear the volume over the radio.<br />
<br />
Our friends showed up and we parked the women folk in the back of the truck,
but were nice enough to let them sit in lawn chairs, while Andy and I sat in
our chairs by the truck.<br />
<br />
Men in Black III was pretty good. We hightailed it after the first flick
because it was past my bedtime and I had no desire to watch Ghostrider 2 Spirit
of Vengeance since the original Ghostrider was easily one of the stupidest
movies ever.<br />
<br />
Plus, this week I read a story in the Tulsa World about a drive-in theater in
Tulsa reopening after the screen burned and how anxious people were to attend
it again.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-2039105009347198222012-06-07T07:18:00.000-05:002012-06-07T07:18:01.339-05:00The war is on<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As
the temperature heats up and summer makes its debut, it is obviously going to
be a banner year for mosquitoes.<br />
<br />
Maybe it was the lack of cold weather over the so-called winter, but it is
almost impossible to spend much time outside at the Hall household without
getting attacked.<br />
<br />
I have done my part in trying to rid the mosquito menace by swatting several
each trip outside, but the reserves are called out quickly to take the place of
their fallen comrades.<br />
<br />
We do not have any swamps or standing water, at least that I have found, so it
is a mystery as to why the mosquitoes have chosen to make their stand at our
house.<br />
<br />
We bought one of the little candles in a pot that is supposed to rid the
immediate area of bugs, but it almost seems like it draws more of them in. I
change locations, which works for a few minutes until word spreads that the
blood of Craig is available at a new location.<br />
<br />
I read a story the other day that says you can use a fan to help alleviate the
problem. I have not tried this yet, but did sit outside with Trish the Wife the
other day and urged her to talk to see if the hot air would chase off the
critters.<br />
<br />
It didn’t.<br />
<br />
They aren’t all that bad during the hot parts of the day, but in the evening
when I like to sit outside and try to wear the dogs down by playing ball, the
air is thick with them.<br />
<br />
I have even considered putting up a Martin house (no relation to the Martin
Tate home) since they are supposed to be quite the mosquito eaters, but have
not done that yet as I fear the sparrows will take the house over and I will spend
as much time battling them as I do the mosquitoes.<br />
<br />
Some people have suggested using bug repellent, but I really don’t want the
smell of Off! to mask my manly odor. <br />
<br />
I guess the next step is to buy those Tiki candle things and fill it with
citronella. Two problems right off the bat. I fear the ground is so hard it
might require a backhoe and the smoke from the citronella makes me gag.<br />
<br />
And then I got to read <a href="http://leflorecountyjournal.com/2012/06/06/tips-to-prevent-diseases/"><span style="color: blue;">the
story in the Journal</span></a> the other day from the LeFlore County Health
Department advising care as mosquitoes can carry the West Nile Virus. Egads. I
don’t want any of that WNV stuff, although fortunately it is has been rare in
the great state of Oklahoma.<br />
<br />
Hopefully my chances of getting WNV are about the same as winning the lottery.<br />
<br />
So it is onward in the great fight against the Mosquito Swarm of 2012. Fight
hard brothers (and not just my brother Brian) and sisters (which I technically don’t
have) and we shall prevail, or maybe the city will spray to rid us of this
problem. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-3743072207436781452012-06-05T07:24:00.002-05:002012-06-05T07:33:33.693-05:00New projects<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/v_2Hf4wGPwk/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v_2Hf4wGPwk?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" />
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<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v_2Hf4wGPwk?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
wanted to share with you a couple of new projects I have been working on.<br />
<br />
The first is I restarted a website <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://oksportsreview.com</span></a>
in April and it is growing and getting bigger daily.<br />
<br />
oksportsreview.com has the top sports stories each day from throughout
Oklahoma, from the professionals down to high school. All the stories and links
are broken up into sections for each sports and team or division, which makes
it easier if you are interested in OU, the Thunder, OSU or high school sports.<br />
<br />
One of the most popular parts of the website is I am working on adding old high
school football scores <a href="http://oksportsreview.com/?page_id=366"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.
So far, I have all the county schools’ scores from 2011 and added Poteau back
to 2003. Now, I am slowly adding the Heavener scores, which I have back to the
1930s but have only gotten a couple of years posted. There are a couple of
years missing, so any help you can give is greatly appreciated.<br />
<br />
I do have all the scores for county schools back to 2004, but need your help.
If you have scores from any high school please send that information by email
to <a href="mailto:craig@oksportsreview.com"><span style="color: blue;">craig@oksportsreview.com</span></a>, or
mail it to: Craig Hall, 300 S. Earl, Poteau, Ok. 74953.<br />
<br />
This is a statewide site, not just for the county so we need scores from all
the high schools. I really appreciate any help you can give with the scores, or
by sharing the site with anybody you know who likes sports.<br />
<br />
I first started the site last year but had to shut it down because the web
software I was using was not supported any longer. <br />
<br />
Also, I am adding a new addition to the Journal. A couple of weeks ago, I
purchased a video camera so we can have videos on the Journal to complement the
stories.<br />
<br />
So far, I have posted one video to the Journal’s YouTube channel. You can view
the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_2Hf4wGPwk"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a> or click the link above. It was
a video of a golfing expedition on Memorial Day to learn how to edit and post
the video.<br />
<br />
The plan is to add video for stories on upcoming events and stories I cover to
complement the pictures and story. Hopefully you will like this addition to the
Journal, but there is still a lot I have to learn about using the camera and
the editing process.<br />
<br />
Thanks to all of you for your support. If you have any comments or suggestions,
please send an email to craig@leflorecountyjournal.com.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-34013062397630347072012-05-06T07:45:00.000-05:002012-05-06T07:45:11.520-05:00These guys are good<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To borrow a line from an old NBA commercial, “These guys are good!”<br />
<br />
Those guys are the soccer players for Poteau and Heavener, two teams which met at Harvey Stadium Friday night in a Class 4A quarterfinal playoff game.<br />
<br />
I have only attended approximately three soccer games in my life. The previous ones were not exactly compelling.<br />
<br />
That certainly wasn’t the case Friday. I was caught up in the action, the excitement and all that goes with it.<br />
<br />
I can’t count how many games I have been to this year, but Friday’s game was as good as any I have attended.<br />
<br />
The players were like magicians with the soccer ball, backwards kicks to teammates, headers which would have given be a migraine, and the constant action.<br />
<br />
They did things with the ball I could never dream of doing. Poteau’s Ashby Clark did something I have never seen before.<br />
<br />
On throw ins, he would start way back at the track, run forward, place the ball on the ground and while flipping over heave the ball a long way and wind up standing. If I tried that, they would need to bring out the backboard and neck traction.<br />
<br />
There was so much action that I grew tired just watching them within a few minutes.<br />
<br />
It was hot and humid and the players were coated with sweat after a few minutes. But they kept going, like the old Energizer Bunny, full-speed sprints from one end to the other, then back again, with only short periods of rest.<br />
<br />
Despite the importance of the game and one featuring opponents from only 15 or so miles apart, there seemed to be a respect between the teams which you seldom see in a sport anymore. Late in the game, there was a break and Heavener’s players got a drink of water.<br />
<br />
They also shared the water bottles with a couple of Poteau players near the sidelines. Perhaps it is a sad reflection of the times, but that was one moment I will remember for a long time.<br />
<br />
Think that would have happened in any other competitive sport such as football? I don’t.<br />
<br />
Poteau eventually won, 4-2, to move on to the semifinals Tuesday at Mount St. Mary’s. The loss was the first of the year for Heavener in the Wolves’ first trip to the playoffs in the five years the school has been playing the sport.<br />
<br />
And after the game ended, the players lined up and crossed the field to shake hands and offer congratulations. Again, just the way it should be.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-60982724781763210202012-05-04T06:04:00.001-05:002012-05-04T06:04:20.913-05:00A great day for the countyThursday was a great day for LeFlore County.<br /><br />Poteau's girls wrapped up the Class 4A state tournament by winning the tournament by 21 strokes over Anadarko and Hannah Ward was the medalist in the tournament.<br /><br />The win was the first team state championship for Poteau since the late 1970s and Ward became only the second golfer to win an individual championship, to go along with the one Kyle Cofer won.<br /><br />But that was far from the only good news.<br />
<br />
The Spiro and Wister baseball teams won both their games Thursday to move within a game of making the state tournament.<br /><br />While defending state champion Wister was expected to win both its games and the Wildcats did in defeating Haworth, 9-4 and Hartshorne, 3-1, Spiro pulled off a big one.<br /><br />After defeating Morris, 9-5, in the first round of the regional tournament, the Bulldogs then defeated third-ranked Eufaula on its home field, 12-6, to move into the championship game of the tournament.<br /><br />Wister and Spiro only have to win one more game to advance to the state tournament.<br /><br />The only negative was Pocola lost to Hartshorne in the first round of the Wister regional and played a elimination game later Thursday.<br /><br />Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-80539399283951136652012-05-03T05:47:00.003-05:002012-05-03T05:47:25.481-05:00Heavener, Poteau meet in a big one<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Heavener vs. Poteau, two old LeFlore County rivals will meet
again Friday.<br />
<br />
Just the mention of those two teams squaring off brings back memories of pep
rallies, snake dances, bloated bleachers, lots of noise and a big game.<br />
<br />
Heavener and Poteau have paired off in so many big games over the year in
football, basketball, baseball and soccer. Just last month, they met in the
finals of the slowpitch softball LeFlore County Tournament.<br />
<br />
They haven’t met in football since 1985, at least the American variety. Now the
biggest meeting of the year between the two schools comes Friday in…soccer.<br />
<br />
Heavener didn’t even have a soccer team until a few years ago. Poteau has been
playing for much longer.<br />
<br />
While the stands at Harvey Stadium might not be as full as they once were back
in the old days for an American football contest, this one is huge.<br />
<br />
State quarterfinals. Winner advances one step closer to a possible state
championship. Serious. Aside from the Poteau boys’ golf team qualifying for the
state tournament, this is the deepest a boys team from either school has
advanced into the playoffs.<br />
<br />
Soccer fever hasn’t exactly swept LeFlore County, but this could help. <br />
<br />
With apologizes, I must admit that I am not a big soccer fan.<br />
<br />
We didn’t play it when we were kids or participate at any age group. I don’t
understand much about soccer, other than the goal is to put a soccer ball into…the
goal.<br />
<br />
But for the players, parents and fans, this game is just as big, or bigger,
than any they have competed in. And if it is anything like the first meeting,
the fans will certainly get plenty of excitement.<br />
<br />
In a conference game last month, the two teams could not figure out a winner in
regulation. The first overtime didn’t help. Heavener finally won in the second
overtime, 3-2, and eventually won the conference.<br />
<br />
Poteau has won twice on the road in the playoffs, defeating Catoosa, 7-1,
before edging Oologah 2-1 on Tuesday. Heavener had its first soccer playoff
game Tuesday, winning 3-0 over Riverfield at home.<br />
<br />
The two teams are the best in southeastern Oklahoma, and among the best in
their class. Maybe the best overall. That will be decided next week. <br />
<br />
Next up for the winner is a game against the Southeast-Mt. Saint Mary’s game on
Tuesday in the semifinals. </span><br />Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-27450615795731469882012-04-20T05:32:00.004-05:002012-04-20T06:03:22.504-05:00I survive a spelling bee<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tATYMs2pv7w/T5E55MVFUjI/AAAAAAAAAMU/brYvXfurHiA/s1600/wheres+maverick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tATYMs2pv7w/T5E55MVFUjI/AAAAAAAAAMU/brYvXfurHiA/s320/wheres+maverick.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literacy Council coordinator Laura Young and husband Harvey look for Maverick.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It was my honor to represent the LeFlore County Journal, along with Trish the Wife and Big Barb the Mother in the Literacy Council of LeFlore County’s Adult Spelling Bee Thursday night.<br />
<div class="yiv125598904msonormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 1em 0px 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ee-3P68j4Y/T5E6WbthBwI/AAAAAAAAAMc/yh-BuM7sVAk/s1600/competitors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ee-3P68j4Y/T5E6WbthBwI/AAAAAAAAAMc/yh-BuM7sVAk/s200/competitors.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The competitors ask each other how to spell.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I consider myself a pretty good speller, especially when using spellcheck. But this was my first spelling bee, at least that I can remember.<br />
<br />
Naturally, I am not a win at all cost kind of person. I told anybody who bothered to ask, and a few who didn’t, that I either hoped we lost early or won it all.<br />
Well, we didn’t lose early or win it all. Team Journal, not to be confused with Team Edward or the Team werewolf guy whose name I can’t remember, blazed to a third-place finish, outlasting seven other teams along the way.<br />
I was surprised there were actually people who came to watch the Spelling Bee. I thought it must be a boring night for television, but discovered it was really pretty interesting, even for somebody like me who has Adult Attention Disorder, the old AAD.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwuY1LYIgBU/T5E6uDOw0NI/AAAAAAAAAMk/vQ2kCCMbOFg/s1600/the+mav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwuY1LYIgBU/T5E6uDOw0NI/AAAAAAAAAMk/vQ2kCCMbOFg/s200/the+mav.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maverick of KTCS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>While waiting for Maverick of KTCS to arrive, we were promised easy words for the first three rounds.<br />
Our first word was caribou. I had a serious brain cheese and drew a blank so it was a good thing my teammates stepped up.<br />
I could spell most of them and as Craig the Captain, so named because Ralphman Due Perdue had some family thing that prevented his appearance, or so he said, I had to actually spell the word when Maverick called on us.<br />
We breezed through the first few rounds and soon other teams were dropping like band members at an August football game.<br />
I was glad when the first team dropped out. At least we wouldn’t finish last. I tried not to show any joy when somebody else stumbled over a spelling, refusing to high-five the mother or even give a small fist pump.<br />
Seriously. <br />
I actually knew how to spell a couple of words my teammates didn’t, including aggregate, by gosh.<br />
Soon, the words became borderline impossible. After the final four dropped to three teams, somebody informed us we had won a trophy. Whoa. Good thing I didn’t know that previously or I would have swallowed a tongue or choked on some of the tasty popcorn.<br />
After it dropped to three teams, Maverick told us it was fixing to get tough, or words to that effect. <br />
He was right. Buckley Library’s team was first to go. They were given a word so difficult they used a mulligan. I didn’t even know mulligans were available until shortly before the competition started and after finding out they cost $20, decided Team Journal would sink or swim.<br />
That gave Buckley Library a pass.<br />
Next, Maverick gave us the word abecedarian, but it was sounded out as abcdarian. I thought it was somebody who spelled out the alphabet. I did a mental check of the finances of Craig and thought maybe I could come up with $20 if I wanted to skip lunch and dinner for a few days. <br />
Shouldn’t we be spelling words people actually use? It was helpless. I gave it my all but only got the first two letters right. I would say the crowd groaned because so many fans liked the underdog, but all I saw was a yawn or two.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7H1esHWxLfw/T5E7pJIg6qI/AAAAAAAAAMs/EIU9pRoifPc/s1600/winners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="105" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7H1esHWxLfw/T5E7pJIg6qI/AAAAAAAAAMs/EIU9pRoifPc/s200/winners.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The winning Stingers from Southern Star</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Southern Star team couldn’t spell their word, so a bit of controversy arose over Team Journal getting eliminated while the other two teams could not spell their words either in the same round.<br />
Bee officials checked the rules and gave us the old heave-ho. <br />
The other teams struggled after that, not that Team Journal could have done any better. Finally, the Southern Star Stingers actually spelled some ridiculous word correctly, then followed it up with another correct spelling and Southern Star was crowned champion and given the big trophy.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nB__vT1afvo/T5E-tcMlJ9I/AAAAAAAAAM0/RhXdbrU8BkE/s1600/team+journal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nB__vT1afvo/T5E-tcMlJ9I/AAAAAAAAAM0/RhXdbrU8BkE/s320/team+journal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Journal: Maverick awarding us the trophy on the left along with Trish Hall, Craig Hall and Barbara Hall.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our trophy wasn’t as big, but at least Team Journal left with some hardware.<br />
<br />
Later, Maverick admitted he had never heard of leflorecountyjournal.com. I tried to console his anguish by pointing out we only cover LeFlore County. He asked some questions about the Journal and actually was interested, or put on a good act. I told Trish the Wife he didn’t sound like he does on his morning show, but she said he did.<br />
It was a fun evening. I probably won’t start calling up friends and suggest we get together for spelling bee parties, but the main thing was it was a good night for the Literacy Council. So thanks to Laura Young and all the people who worked hard to make the night so good.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div><br />
<div class="yiv1663901874newswhitehead14" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115343295204483748.post-66162724036490890692012-04-09T07:01:00.002-05:002012-04-09T07:01:41.648-05:00Wister wins with class<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">It’s hard enough to reach the finals of the baseball LeFlore County Tournament.<br />
<br />
And it’s even harder to actually win the tournament.<br />
<br />
That is certainly true, but Wister’s baseball program is a different story.<br />
<br />
The Wister seniors reached the finals all four years, winning their second title in three years with a 5-3 win over Spiro in the finals Saturday.<br />
<br />
This group also won as sophomores and finished second as freshmen and as juniors.<br />
<br />
Saturday’s win had to be even sweeter for the Wildcats by winning over Spiro on the Bulldogs’ home field. This came one year after Spiro won the LCT over Wister on the Wildcats’ home turf.<br />
<br />
Many of the same players competed for both teams and it was a three-day war to cap off the tournament.<br />
<br />
Wister won the first game, lost the second one Friday night to force a championship game, then got the lead and made it stand up behind the pitching of Cody Luman and an excellent defense which pulled off a pair of double plays and threw two runners out at the plate.<br />
<br />
Clint Crane was the winning pitcher in the first game against Spiro and was 3-3 in the finals. He was named the tournament MVP for his play.<br />
<br />
Luman also delivered for the Wildcats, pitching Wister to the win in the finals and also going the distance on Tuesday against Poteau.<br />
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And the win came despite Wister playing without Tyler Gibson, another standout pitcher for the Wildcats, who is out with an injury.<br />
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Saturday’s championship win continued to build on the Wildcats’ impressive resume, which includes a Class 2A state championship last spring and frequent trips to the state tournament.<br />
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The most impressive part of Wister’s play is the way the Wildcats play. They don’t talk trash or try to distract or embarrass the opponent.<br />
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And Wister’s success and class is what will be remembered.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span>Craig Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11265567466052776075noreply@blogger.com0