IFYR had McSpadden connection

This year’s International Finals Youth Rodeo, which concludes today with the finals beginning at 2 p.m., has a connection to the late Clem McSpadden. He died July 7, and his funeral was held in Bushyhead Arena near Claremore a week ago.
Luke McSpadden from Big Cabin, who competed here in team roping and saddle bronc riding this week, is a distant relative. Luke’s grandfather, Kenneth McSpadden, is a cousin of the late congressman and renowned rodeo announcer. Luke’s parents are Brent and Melody McSpadden, and Luke’s grandfather lives at Ketchum.
I caught up with Luke at the Expo Center after he competed one morning this week. He told me that Clem’s brother Bob had passed away about a week before Clem, following a long bout with cancer, and that Clem spoke at Bob’s funeral. He said that was his last time to see Clem alive.
Luke shared that while he wasn’t around Clem a great deal what he remembers most about Clem was, “He talked slow. He was a nice, all-around good guy is what I’d say.”
He said from the time he was 3 or 4 until he was 8 or 9, that each year at the Pasture Roping at Bushyhead Clem would get him up front for a picture. “I’d always be on a little pony and he would get me up in front of everyone,” 18-year-old Luke said.
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Golf USA has announced the opening of a new franchise location in Shawnee. The store is at 4405 N. Harrison. The store will offer a full line of golf clubs and golf accessories for men, women and children, Tom Anthony, chairman and CEO said.
The store will be owned and operated by Mike and Jana McQuain. McQuain plans to have the store open for business by Monday, according to information provided by Anthony.
McQuain has been a PGA golf professional for the past 12 years and most recently has operated the driving range in Shawnee on Acme Road across from the Elks Club and golf course.
He also has the Yamaha golf cart dealership for the area. His wife, Jana, is vice president of quality and risk performance at Unity Heath Center. McQuain and his wife have two boys, Blake, 9, and Cade, 6.
“We are thrilled to now be a part of the Shawnee business community,” Anthony said. “Our goal is to be a neighborhood golf shop with all the top name brands in golf.”
In addition to selling golf equipment and merchandise, the new Golf USA location also features an indoor driving range, putting area, computerized swing analyzer and complete golf club repair center.
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Richard Finley of Finley and Cook CPAs said Friday that employees began moving into their new building on East 45th Street, east of North Harrison and across from Gordon Cooper Technology Center.
Employees Friday were busy moving from the location at 10th and Bell streets, and the firm has a for sale sign on that building, which formerly was owned by Oklahoma Natural Gas Co.
Finley said the firm will continue to house operations from the building on North Broadway, in addition to their new location.
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State Game Warden Mike France, who is stationed in Pottawatomie County, has been busy this week distributing copies of the 2008-09 Oklahoma Hunting Guide. France has been delivering the guides to locally licensed dealers who sell hunting and fishing licenses.
The guides are free and can be picked up at any of the licensed dealer locations throughout the city and county.
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A local businessman visited with me briefly this week about sidewalks. He suggested maybe some kind of sinking fund could be set up to fund sidewalks when needed.
He pointed out that most people realize sidewalks are needed on arterial and collector streets. But he argues that a more common sense approach to sidewalks should be considered.
He wasn’t sure if such a fund could be set up, but said it’s something the city commission might investigate.
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The annual bean supper supporting the “Back-to-School” supplies program for the community’s children will be 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 24 at First Baptist Church fellowship hall, 10th and Union in Shawnee.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.
Tickets may be purchased at the door the night of the supper, at Vision Bank, 3213 N. Harrison, next door to Van’s Pig Stand or  at The Salvation Army, 200 E. Ninth St
It’s sponsored by The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary. Door prizes will be offered every 15 minutes. Call 275-2243 for more information.
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Sarkeys Foundation Executive Director Cheri Cartwright announced the foundation’s semi-annual grant awards in the amount of $3,322,401. And a Shawnee non-profit is one of those to benefit from the grants.
Family Promise of Shawnee was awarded $17,930 to cover partial salary of the executive director and case manager as well as training expenses as they expand their support services.
Grants will go to a variety of Oklahoma non-profits. “We’re pleased with the caliber of organizations we were able to fund this grant cycle and the work done by each,” Cartwright said.
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Shawnee School Superintendent Marilyn Bradford has called a meeting 5 p.m. Monday to welcome Wilson Elementary alumni to a gathering at Wilson Elementary, 1830 N. Beard. Purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the future of the Rose Garden School for possible restoration and preservation.
Bradford encourages all Wildcat alumni and any other residents to attend to help determine if there is an interest in preserving a building that played an important role in Shawnee’s early beginnings. Among the alumni already expressing an interest, she said, are Bill Ford and Dick Deem.
Bradford explained that the Adult Basic Education program has relocated to the main building at Wilson, so the two-story building is in use, but the annex buildings will not be used, nor the World War II barracks and the Rose Garden School.
The plan is to raze the old WW II white barrack buildings, she said, which sit directly north of the main building. Bradford said, “They’re in very poor condition and frankly not salvageable. The Rose Garden School is behind the main building at the corner of North Market and Emmett.
The Rose Garden School is one of the last remaining original schools in Shawnee. It was built in the early 1900s along with Harrison Street School, Dunbar, and Bell Street School.”  
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If you have ideas or something of interest for this column, please call me at 214-3922 or e-mail me at michael.mccormick@news-star.com, but please include your name and a phone number for contact purposes.