SoS Volunteers

SoS Volunteers
Bette Cooper

“By way of introduction, for those of you who do not know me, I am Bette Cooper, wife of Gary Brown who is the brother & brother-in-law of Clark & Pegi Brown, owners of the Stardust Inn. Gary and I own a California-based business—a professional trade association for semiconductor engineers.

I am pleased to say that I’ll be heading up the volunteer coordination efforts of Medicine Park residents for this year’s Spirit of Survival Marathon. I will be meeting with the hospital event staff soon to determine what needs to be done by Park volunteers, and I hope to have an informal get-together soon (location TBD) to get people signed up for the various activities. As a relative newcomer to the Park (Gary and I have been here just over a year), I’m glad to be able to get more involved in community activities. If you’d like to volunteer please contact me at 650-714-1570 (my cell phone which is also my business phone, a California area code) or e-mail me at bcooper@meptec.org. Thank you!”

SoS Update

Spirit of Survival Marathon
Update
Hank Sabine

Tuesday, July 25: An estimated 30 Park residents attended a planning/coordination meeting with the SoS Race Committee in Town Hall. Great energy and organization led to big gains in working out details.

Clark Brown Creative designed the official t-shirt and poster design for 2007 and Muriel Fahrion (Big Rock Works) designed the prairie dog mascot for the Super Kids Marathon t-shirt. Michael Fahrion designed the kid's t-shirt.

Tyler Wright from the Fish Hatchery reports that he has received positive support from his supervisors to allow parking on the large field at the south end of the hatchery. Last year, runners and participants had to park at School House Slough and be bused into the Park. This change will save the SoS Committee nearly $10,000 (that goes to cancer treatment).

David and Candace McCoy will work with the Medicine Park Volunteer Fire Department to provide breakfast on Sunday morning for runners, volunteers and attendees. Funds will be generated for our VFD and good food will be served. David and Candace are working with friends who are marathon runners to develop a proper menu.

The Town Government was represented by mayor Dwight Cope, clerk Jane Thompson, councilman, Odus Hennessey. They will be working on vendor fees and electricity, and water sources. Rod (chief of police) reported on his coordination efforts to assure the safety of the community.

The "Demonic Director" (multi-talented Lee Hibbetts) will discipline her cast of characters and present "Perils in the Park" and the "Medicine Show."

Tom Biggs is organizing the "Art Fair."

There will also be "scheduled and unscheduled" gun fights, street music and a variety of vendors in The Park on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Warning: We expect 1,000 racers to participate. This is becoming a major event in the region, and it is growing rapidly. The event is for all the right reasons, managed by some very competent people (including Parkies), represents a unique course, and we're drawing major media attention. We could have 5,000 visitors in The Park on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Our Parkie Mission: Provide the best support and showing we can manage. We are a "tourist town." We always have been and we are now. Love the community? Then step up and support the effort.
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Medicine Volunteer Coordinator- Bette Cooper: See her comments in a separate article.

Volunteers: I know most Parkies will be involved in business and organization activities during October – yet, Parkies like to participate and Bette would love to hear from you. We can use all the good people who are willing to be a part of a great “happening.”

Spirit of Survival - Introduction

Spirit of Survival Marathon and Races
Hank Sabine

In 2006, Medicine Park hosted the first "Spirit of Survival Marathon." All races started and finished in Medicine Park over the two-day event. An estimated 500 runners participated (in spite of cold, rainy weather on Sunday). Saturday alone, participants and visitors to the Park numbered in excess of 3,500.

The "Spirit of Survival Marathon" is managed by the Comanche County Memorial Hospital and a group of volunteers from CCMH and regional hospitals in Duncan and Altus. The goal is to raise money for cancer treatment at all three hospitals to reduce the need for cancer victims to receive treatment far from home.

Both CCMH and Medicine Park were surprised by the large numbers of people who participated in the races – and shopped in The Park. Our goal, this year, is to be ready to perform and maximize the publicity.

The Marathon and races will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 13 and 14, 2007. Again, the start and finish lines will be in Medicine Park!

Appointed to the Board of Directors as the Coordinator for Medicine Park, I will post an update to inform everyone of the recent developments.

Dog Days of August

by Michael Fahrion

On Saturday August 11th the Town is asking for your help in getting the Trails back in shape after the damage inflicted by the flooding. You don’t have to be a Parkie to join in, friends of the Park are welcomed. The Trails are a major attraction and they do need to cleaned of the debris deposited by the rushing tide. Charley Wright is coordinating this project and will have food and beverages for all who are willing to roll up their sleeves and pitch in. Volunteers can come down to Bath Lake at 9:00 AM and bring a shove, rake, broom or just your willing hands. Any questions or ideas you can contact Charley by clicking HERE.

Also on the menu for August 11 is an old fashion street dance at the old Apache Inn ruins. Live music and lots of fun starting at 8:00 PM.

The first part of August is shaping up to be a time to get out and have some fun, help the Park get the Trails ready for visitors and enjoy yourself. We can turn the last part of August over to the dogs and rest up out of the Summer sun.

Red Bud Awards

Who deserves it Baby? I am applying for several Red Bud Awards (Oklahoma Tourism Awards) on behalf of the Town and for the Arts Council. Here are the categories that I am submitting for:

• Website Design. Face it the Medicine Park website beats all or at least we think so. Thanks to Clark Brown for Designing and along with many other town folk pushing for the new and improved look and content, to Michael Fahrion for executing it (coding is not for the faint of heart) and continually updating and MPEDA for the funds behind the site.
• Brochure Design. Nice little hand out that once again works to represent while still being classy looking. Designed & Copy by Big Rock Works, Michael & Muriel Fahrion, marketing research Sarah Fisher.
• Best New Event. Wagon Camp/ Medicine Show. This is my fav! Thanks to a vision of Larry Morefield who put together the overall concept, did historic research and built his fabulous wagons. Kudos to Lee Hibbetts who tries her hardest to keep the production, singers and actors on cue and in queue. How about the script adaptors and writers Elaine Lovett & Michael & Muriel Fahrion. There are dozens of stars who acted in the camp. (Click here for more pics).

Now on the chance that we may not get all or (perish the thought) any of the awards I want state right here that our web savvy, creatively infused citizens deserve a round of applause for effort, tenacity and volunteerism.

Let hear it for Park

Every Picture Tells a Story Don't It?

Riverside Restaurant and Creek, June 30th, 2007
The Restaurant is back up and running. Thanks for the pictures Xandra.

Medicine Park Music Hall Hours

Serving Lunch and Dinner - Friday thru Tuesday - 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Closed Wednesdays & Thursday

Medicine Park Music Hall Returns

by Muriel Fahrion

Last year in another time and place we had a sneak preview of the Neverwas Haul. A quirky invention concocted by the kind of creative minds that emerge out of the San Francisco fog. The Neverwas is tongue-in-cheek homage to Victorian days, a gingerbread house built over a steam engine. Its premiere was to be at Burning Man Gathering located on the playa in the Nevada desert. We got to view it at NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) a place where all sorts of fire arts go on. I assume most of you are scratching your heads and I have lost some of you in the figurative fog. (click on the links for a further explanation) And most are left wondering where I was going with this train of thought…

We too have a Hall, the Medicine Park Music Hall. The Always-Was Hall. You know that great curved metal roof building with the Robert Dean Buffalo sculpture guarding it. It began its life in the Edwardian age in the early days of the Park as a dance pavilion when the Foxtrot was all the rage. It has undergone several reincarnations, music hall, roller skating rink, mercantile, melodrama theatre, restaurant and reception hall. My first experience in the Hall was seeing Leon Russell perform there in 2000. (The last time we had seen Leon in concert was at the Music Hall in Cleveland Ohio 30 years earlier) Leon Russell and his music owned the Medicine Park Music Hall that night. But I would guess the same could have been said for when Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys played there in the 1930’s. And all those folks who wax nostalgic over the skating rink days can hear the music and feel the wheels under their feet when they step back in the Hall. In recent history we all joined in for open mike performances from our local talent. Today, once again with a little help from its friends it has risen again as the Medicine Park Music Hall. You might say it is another historic building being “re-Forrested” in the Park. Stop by the Medicine Park Music Hall (Always-Was Hall) for the food (full and interesting menu) for now with a promise of the dinner theatre and music in its future.

The Covered Dishes of Medicine Park

Event Etiquette 101
by Muriel Fahrion

Learning ways of Medicine Park can be as steep and surprising as the curve that winds up Big Rock. If you thought you knew proper event etiquette for other places you have lived don’t presume that same guideline will work in the Park.

• Don’t wait for a personal invitation it may not come but if it is posted on a door, a sandwich board, telephone pole or you are sitting at the Tavern or the Winery or picking up your mail and folks are talking about the Event, frankly you are welcome to come. I bring this up because I had heard from newcomers that they had not been invited, they were of course but not maybe directly.
• B.Y.O.C. (Bring your own chair). As most events/ parties are open there is no telling how many people will show up so shortage of chairs is a fact of life. However folding chairs can be had for about $5 to $10 at Walmart or Big Lots etc. (We keep a few in the car just in case an event crops up.) While your at it by a Sharpie to put your name on the chair. Expect someone else may sit in chair if you vacate it. This is not bad manners it is the Park’s way of socializing.
• Covered dish or not. If the event is an annual event the past attendees already know if it is a covered dish event. And even if the event/ party is posted it may not indicate that a covered dish is requested. You can ask someone you think is in the know or when in doubt just bring one. Hey, somebody is always hungry. Your covered dish can be store bought or home made but don’t underestimate the attendees they know a home cooked item when the see it and your store bought might be the last to be eaten.
• Get there on time or miss out on fine dining. If it is said the food is being served at 5:00 be there at or before 5:00 or miss out on the best pickings. Medicine Park event frequenters know who are the best cooks in town and head directly to their dishes. Often these dishes are surprisingly gourmet.
• Prepared to be hugged. Oh, sure the first three or so events I wasn’t hugged after all I was new but after that the hugs began. And if you have been absent because of a vacation, an illness, a business trip out of town be prepared for a possible outbreak of applause.
• Apparel..Anything goes*. Guys can be fairly certain that a Hawaiian shirt is appropriate for any event. It is not necessary to be made in Hawaii. And capris are showing up on female attendees at the last three celebrations I’ve attended. Events & parties are meant to fun so I, like other’s who embrace the zany, like to dress to match the event. For the Crawfish Fest I wore a red bandana print with guitar earrings. The Big Rock Babes (you know who you are) are always a delight to be seen in their event themed outfits.
• Don’t worry, be happy. No covered dish? Didn’t bring a chair? Arrived too late for eats? Dressed up when most dressed down? No problem! Medicine Park is just glad you came. Just don’t forget to bring a hug and smile you bring a dish next time.

*Note: There are exceptions to every rule. For Halloween make or get a costume! Sure they let you in the door without one but you’ll miss out on some of the fun.

We need YOU to share your recipes..
Who knew... Loretta & David Lott had already started a centennial cookbook. They are looking for yours. Submit a recipe!