Tonkawa Historical Society is Restoring the Tonkawa Santa Fe Train Depot

By ELIZABETH GOLLIVER

Reporter

 

Do you like history? Do you want to be involved in restoring a historic building? Do want community service hours for your club, organization or class? Get your working clothes on and your paint brush in hand because you can do just that right here in Tonkawa.

The Tonkawa Historical Society is restoring the Tonkawa Santa Fe train depot and is asking for volunteers to help with the restoration. Volunteers can help in numerous ways. They can help by cleaning up the grounds around the building, painting, providing refreshments to workers on work days, sawing, hammering and providing assistance to professional workers.

The depot was built in 1899 as a 24 by 80 foot standard depot. Wheat, scrap metal, oilfield supplies and other merchandise were hauled by train cars to the depot. An average of 800 railroad car loads of oilfield supplies were shipped in and 120 tank cars of crude oil was shipped out each month. The freight room addition on the north end was built in 1922 because of the increase in freight coming in and out of the depot.

In the 1930s the depot became an integral part of the Three Sands Oil Field south of town. The depot shipped oil field supplies to the oil field and oil was shipped out of the depot. The depot also played an important part in the Prisoner of War camp north of town. The German prisoners were brought to and from town by train. The train brought the prisoners to town to work on local farms and ranches and at the alfalfa dryer plant in town. In 1946 the waiting room addition on the south end of the depot was added to the depot for the increase in passengers.

Through the years the depot served as a bus station, a telegraph station and a museum. Now the depot sits vacant and is threatened by deterioration. It has been placed on the 2008 Most Endangered Historical Places List by Preservation Oklahoma, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting, promoting and preserving Oklahoma’s historical and cultural landmarks.

The Santa Fe Depot Renovation Project Committee wants to make the depot an attraction to the community. Some ideas that the committee is considering are a community room, a youth education center, a dining establishment, a farmer’s market or an office space while maintaining the atmosphere of the train station.

Phase 1 of the renovation project is to preserve the structure by repairing the roof and giving the outside of the building a fresh coat of paint. It will be painted cotton yellow with dark green trim since that is the original color of the Santa Fe depot. Phase 1 is estimated to cost $50,000. The committee has already raised $20,000 through local businesses and private donors.

It is hard to imagine that before mass communications and the automobile, the only way to get mail, livestock and supplies to town is to have them arrive and leave via the town depot. The depot now stands as a silent reminder of an era gone by. There is still an aura about the train whistle that lingers in the memories of those who remember the good old days of the depot.

Those interested in volunteering with the project may contact the Tonkawa Historical Society, P.O. Box 27 Tonkawa, OK 74653 or the Tonkawa Chamber of Commerce at 580-628-2220.

ATT and Cingular Customers for the Tonkawa Campus

Anyone who currently uses AT&T or Cingular wireless cell phone services in the Tonkawa area knows how bad or almost non-existent the cell phone service/reception is. According to their website, Tonkawa falls into the “Best” and the NOC campus in the “Good” service areas. Everyone utilizing their service in the Tonkawa/NOC area knows this is not true!

If everyone that utilizes AT&T or Cingular service and is having these problems would please use one of the following ways (or both) to report the “poor” or “no service” that we all get on the NOC campus or around the town of Tonkawa maybe they will get something done.

To use the website you must know your account information.

Use the following link:

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/welcome/?_requestid=47388

Then click on “SUPPORT”.

On the Support page click on “Tech Support Chat” (this is where you will need your login information)

Or you may call 1-800-331-0500. When prompted, enter your cell phone number, then “Option 0”, then “Option 3” and a person comes on the line.

Hope this helps with our future cell phone service with AT&T and Cingular.

2008 Career and Internship Fair

By PETER DAVIS

Reporter

The Northern Oklahoma College Counseling and High School and College Relations departments are presenting the 2008 Career & Internship Fair. The fair will be held at the Renfro Center on October 8th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. This career information fair is to help the students here on the NOC Tonkawa campus get information about potential future employment opportunities.

“This is a great opportunity for the students to interact with future employers,” says NOC Counselor Gina Conneywerdy. “This also gives the students a chance to learn great networking skills and opportunities for employment and internships as well.”

Many area businesses will be on hand to take part in the Career Fair such as; Sykes Enterprises, Tonkawa Casino, Edwin Fair Center, Alpha II, TPI Staffing, Quality Water, Blue Star Casino, Smith Technologies, Oklahoma State Employment Office, the U.S. Army, and many more.

The fair will also feature the “How to Get the Job,” Seminar by Jeff Seymour of the Ponca City Development Authority. The seminar starts at 12 p.m. and is open for all students to attend at the Career Fair.

Suzanne Mayo, NOC Career Development Counselor, will be on hand to visit with students about career options. Suzanne will be demonstrating the Oklahoma Career Information System (OKCIS) to assist students in researching career paths for the future. If you are undecided or considering changing your major stop by and visit with her.

This is an excellent opportunity for the students if they a need a job or are unsure about a career. Bring your resume to share with potential employers and the dress code for the Fair is casual. Several door prizes will be awarded from local businesses including Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and one of them will be a 32” Plasma TV from Blue Star Casino! Hope to see you there!

Steve Riggs-The One Man Team

Steve Riggs

By ELIZABETH GOLLIVER

We all saw Michael Phelps make history at this year’s Beijing Olympics on the U.S. swim team. Well, Believe it or not, Northern had its own Michael Phelps in 1974.

His name was Steve Riggs and he went to the National Junior College Championship in 1974. He was the only 1-man team there and also became the fan favorite. He ended up being a three time All-American at the meet.

Steven Riggs was born in Tulsa, OK and the rest of his family was born in Ponca City, OK. He attended Tulsa Edison High School as a sophomore and then attended Norman High School for the rest of his high school years. He quickly developed a love of swimming while in high school. In high school he was the state champion and record holder for the 400 Medley Relay, Captain of the State Championship team in 1972, All-American Consideration 1972 and All-State 1972. He attended the University of Oklahoma for a year, then he moved Ponca City to live with his grandmother. He attended NOC for his sophomore year in the 1973-1974 school year.

He found out about the National Junior College Swimming Championships in Lavonia, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. He contacted Leo Canady, the athletic director in 1974, about the possibility of being sponsored by NOC at the meet. No one on the coaching staff at Northern was going to be able to go with Steve to the meet, so he was able to stay with the host swimming coach, who was Steve’s acting sponsor at the meet.

NOC did not have a swimming pool in 1974 so Steve worked out at the Conoco pool in Ponca City. The National meet was held at Schoolcraft College in Michigan. He entered in three events; the 100 Yard Butterfly, the 200 Yard Butterfly and the 200 Yard Backstroke. He quickly became a fan favorite since he was the only 1-man team of the 27 teams who entered the competition. He finished 1^st in the 100 Yard Butterfly, 2^nd in the 200 Yard Butterfly, and 3^rd in the 200 Yard Backstroke. This made him a three time All-American since he finished in the top 6 of each event.

He graduated from NOC in 1974 with an A.S. in business and went on to Oklahoma State University. While he attended OSU he was All Big Eight , Captain of the 1976 swimming team and Varsity Letter.

From 1976-1977 he worked as a Graduate Assistant Coach at OSU where he worked with Big Eight champions and Australian Olympic team members. From 1978-1983 he coached the Bullfrogs of Edmond Swim Team where he started a USA swimming club from scratch. He was also an Assistant Swimming Coach for the Kerr-McGee Swim Club.

Steve is currently the Swimming Director and an elementary school teacher at Edmond Public Schools. He has been elected to the Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2003 he was selected as the National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of Swimming. He has also been selected as the Oklahoma Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2008. He has received the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association “Excellence in Coaching Award” and has received numerous other rewards. He has a wife Gerre of 18 years and two children- Christa, 16 and Sara, 13.

During his coaching career at three high schools he has trained 10 state champions, 23 state runner-ups, 69 conference champions, 9 OSSAA Academic Champions, 86 Individual Champions, 21 State Record Holders, 1 National Record Holder, 18 All-American First Team and 69 OK Coaches All-State Meet.

His motivation is in Proverbs 16:3 which states “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established!” and in James 4:10 which states “Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up!”

NOC’s Photography Club Elects New Officers

By JACKIE SMITH

Photography club members elected officers during their Aug. 28 meeting.

Jackie Smith was voted president, Rachel Weeden was elected vice president and Sean Smethers became the secretary. The membership cost of $5 will be due at the next meeting.

During the meeting, students discussed the fall break trip to Colorado. Anyone is welcome to attend the trip which will include a visit to southern Colorado. The travel experience will count as one credit hour. Those interested in participating may talk to Dr. Glen Cope.

The next meeting is Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. Members will discuss the trip to NOC Cove on Sept. 19 and 20. Everyone is welcome to attend the event and the cost is $10. Discussion of a possible photo contest among members of the photography club will also take place.

A photography seminar, wedding photography, will be held Sept. 26 and 27.

NOC Hosts Two Artist!

By ELIZABETH SPEARS

The Eleanor Hays Art Gallery opened its 2008-09 season with ”Filling the Void,” a two-person exhibition of paintings by Betty Bowen and ceramics by Paul Pfrehm.

Gallery Director Audrey Schmitz chose the artists because of their strong sense of color and form and the rich, textural surfaces each creates in their given media.  Although these two Oklahoma artists have never shared an exhibit space, Schmitz said she realizes the complimentary nature of their work and is pleased to present their art for the campus and community through Oct. 10..

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. and during evening performances in the Kinzer Performing Arts Center.

Betty Bowen is a print maker. She is currently a teacher in Cushing. Bowne studied painting and printmaking in Oklahoma City and Chapel Hill, North Carolina and earned a master of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

“My paintings are about movement and light, the way light and shadow move across the surface; bubbles in water, wind, branches, leaves, light coming through and around things,” Bowen said. “I begin with an excess of marks and activity, and from then on, it is a process of editing. I am finished when I have taken away everything that feels unnecessary.”

Paul Pfrehm, whose motto is “Have wheel, will travel,” has worked in clay for over 40 years and holds a bachelor’s degree for art education and a master’s degree for fine arts in clay and sculpture. A master clay artist from Wewoka, Pfrehm has over 20 years experience as a college professor along with an extensive exhibition history. Pfrehm will give a come-and-go demonstration of methods and techniques for working with clay Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the ceramics lab located in the Creative Arts Building room 110. The demonstration is open to everyone on campus as well as the community. “

“The porcelain works in the gallery are of the highest quality and the reason Pfrehm’s work continues to receive awards and honors throughout the United States,” said Schmitz. For more information, contact Audrey Schmitz at 628-6670. Schmitz may also be reached in the ceramics studio at 628-6671.

The Eleanor hays Art Gallery is open to the public and is free of charge.

NOC Blood Drive a Huge Success

By CHAD JOHNSON

The NOC blood drive set a new record for the second year in a row for pints donated to the Oklahoma Blood Institute.

Last year the record was set with 163 pints and this year 211 people turned out with 178 pints being donated – beating last year’s record.

OBI staff member Ashley Rumford had some thoughts on using the new Renfro Nursing Center.

“We love it, its way better in the nursing center then in the student union,” Rumford said.

For those who missed the blood drive the OBI team will be back in January hoping to break the record again. Donators must be at least 17 years old, weight at least 110 pounds and be in good health. There is no longer a wait time for those with tattoos obtained from a licensed facility.

Rumsford said the OBI was grateful to Dr. Roger Stacy for allowing the use of the NOC facilities.

Tonkawa Santa Fe Depot Renovation

By ELIZABETH GOLLIVER

Do you like history? Do you want to be involved in restoring a historic building? Do want community service hours? Get your working clothes on and your paintbrush in hand because you can do just that right here in Tonkawa. This is a great way to get community service hours for your club, organization or class.

The Tonkawa Historical Society is restoring the Tonkawa Santa Fe train depot and is asking volunteers to help with the restoration. Volunteers can help in numerous ways. They can help by cleaning up the grounds around the building, painting, and providing refreshments to workers on workdays, sawing, hammering and providing assistance to professional workers.

The depot was built in 1899 as a 24’ X 80’ standard depot. Train cars to the depot hauled wheat, scrap metal, oilfield supplies and other merchandise. An average of 800 railroad carloads of oilfield supplies were shipped in and 120 tank cars of crude oil was shipped out each month. The freight room addition on the north end was built in 1922 because of the increase in freight coming in and out of the depot. In the 1930’s the depot became an integral part of the Three Sands Oil Field south of town. The depot shipped oil field supplies to the oil field and oil was shipped out of the depot. The depot also played an important part in the Prisoner of War camp north of town. The German prisoners were brought to and from town by train. The train brought the prisoners to town to work on local farms and ranches and at the alfalfa dryer plant in town. In 1946, the waiting room addition on the south end of the depot was added to the depot for the increase in passengers.

Through the years the depot served as a bus station, a telegraph station and a museum. Now the depot sits vacant and is threatened by deterioration. It has been placed on the 2008 Most Endangered Historical Places List by Preservation Oklahoma, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting, promoting and preserving Oklahoma’s historical and cultural landmarks.

The Santa Fe Depot Renovation Project Committee wants to make the depot an attraction to the community. Some ideas that the committee is considering are a community room, a youth education center, a dining establishment, a farmer’s market or an office space while maintaining the atmosphere of the train station.

Phase 1 of the renovation project is to preserve the structure by repairing the roof and giving the outside of the building a fresh coat of paint. It will be painted cotton yellow with dark green trim since that is the original color of the Santa Fe depot. Phase 1 is estimated to cost $50,000. The committee has already raised $20,000 through local businesses and private donors.

It is hard to imagine that before mass communications and the automobile, the only way to get telegraphs, mail, livestock and supplies to town is to have them arrive and leave via the town depot. The depot now stands as a silent reminder of an era gone by. There is still an aura about the train whistle that lingers in the memories of those who remember the good old days of the depot.

If you would like to volunteer with the project please contact the Tonkawa Historical Society, P.O. Box 27 Tonkawa, OK 74653 or the Tonkawa Chamber of Commerce at 580-628-2220.

Good Luck Mr. Kelly Wray…

NOTE: I want to take this opportunity to tell our previous instructor, Mr. Kelly S. Wray, that we wish him all the best in his new position as UCO’s Manager of Student Publications, and Adviser to The Vista, UCO’s student newspaper.

We will miss you Mr. Wray!

Kinzer Leaves Legacy at Northern Oklahoma College

PETER DAVIS

Staff Writer

A self-described businessman since the age of eleven, Dr. Joe Kinzer has been hard at work for the past 57 years of his life. He retires from Northern Oklahoma College with a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.

Many things have changed since Dr. Kinzer’s first day on the job. He honestly can’t tell you about his first day on the job, but he can tell you about the biggest part that he remembers — and that is the students. However, one thing is not lost on Dr. Kinzer, the size of NOC.

“It’s come from a much smaller place to now, a more complex place,” Kinzer said.

In the past 18 years during Dr. Kinzer’s tenure, enrollment has grown from 2,000 students on the Tonkawa campus to over 5,000 students spread across three campuses at Enid, Stillwater, and Tonkawa. The OSU gateway program has been established, and partnerships with Oklahoma State University and the city of Enid have helped with the success of the satellite campuses.

Dr. Kinzer’s vision for growth has not stopped with just students. In 1990, when the he arrived on campus, there were 14 administration positions and 50 full time faculty. Today there are nearly 144 administrators and 91 faculty members. That’s not including adjunct and part time instructors.

That alone is success enough for most Presidents of two-year colleges, but Dr. Kinzer refuses to take any credit if at all for the growth of NOC.

“I surround myself with the best people that I can find and to watch them be successful, I view myself kind of like an orchestra leader,” he said. “The music that we make is the payback you get and to try to put everyone, not to put them, but allow them to get in position that they can maximize their creativity and talent is just what I really like to see happen.”

Although Dr. Kinzer may remain modest and humble with a slight sense of humility, his contributions to NOC are great and large in stature. They include the college motto of “Tradition of Excellence,” the self-study initiative “Future-Oriented, Learning-Focused, Connected and Distinctive,” 1998 and 2008’s reaccreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and major growth in the number of associate degree programs, and significant growth in student aid and scholarships for students.

Dr. Edward Vineyard, NOC President Emeritus, went to the board of regents in 2006 and asked that the Performing Arts Center be named in Dr. Kinzer’s behalf for the extraordinary work and service he had done for the college. For Dr. Kinzer it was a shining moment, one that he defines as a possible best memory he will take with him.

One of Dr. Kinzer’s lesser-known contributions to Northern Oklahoma College and Tonkawa was the campaign to start the planting of thousands of redbuds.

“I went to Washington D.C., about this time of year, and I noticed all the blossoms there, and it’s just gorgeous, and I thought, ‘Well, why couldn’t we do something like that in Oklahoma?” Dr. Kinzer said. After the success of the campaign, the jazz festival was renamed the Redbud Festival to coincide with the start of spring and the blossom of the redbuds.

Things might have been different for Dr. Kinzer early on in his educational career without the assistance of his late friend, Arch Alexander.

Alexander, who was dean of Cameron University, and Dr. Kinzer became friends. Alexander was instrumental in Dr. Kinzer receiving a grant to go to graduate school at Oklahoma State University.

That grant allowed him to complete his studies at OSU and go on to begin working at Central State University, now better known as UCO. While there, Dr. Kinzer was the Dean of the College of Business Administration. After 17 years and some discovery about the students of NOC, Dr. Kinzer made the leap to become the President at Northern Oklahoma College in 1990.

Many questions have been raised as to why now? Why is Dr. Kinzer leaving now? His age is one factor, but Dr. Kinzer says he’s still in good health, but it’s simply time to. It is very direct and honest answer from someone who is an otherwise complex individual, one that is ready to watch TV, go golfing, enjoy the outdoors, and spend time with his wife Pamela.

“I’ve never been without a job, ever so I’m kind of curious how this is going to work,” Kinzer said.

With graduation coming soon, it will be Dr. Kinzer’s final commencement as president of Northern Oklahoma College, one that promises to be an emotional one.

“The people, the community, the campus, the students — that’s going to be tough,” Dr. Kinzer said. “I don’t want to think about it.”

He will deliver a message to let the graduates know they need to continue their education. After all according to Dr. Kinzer, “Education is organized inquiry,” and people in general should always strive to learn more.

Even though his time draws near an end, Dr. Kinzer still looks at both NOC’s near and distant future. He sees new remodeling construction on Central and Harold Halls, potentially a new cafeteria to take advantage of the wonderful new kitchen at the Renfro Center, work on the dorms, and perhaps making Northern Oklahoma College a four-year university in the distant future.

As a young man in Lawton, Okla., Dr. Kinzer started his first job for The Lawton Constitution Morning Press. He began passing newspapers, and to hear him tell it, it was one of the most important jobs he ever had. “I learned, it was my job,” Dr. Kinzer said.

From delivering rolled newspapers 57 years ago to handing out college diplomas today, Dr. Kinzer will make his final delivery on April 26, 2008, and then on July 2, he will walk off the Tonkawa campus for the final time as President of Northern Oklahoma College.