Grand Times on Grand Lake with Rusty Fleming

When the Interviewer becomes the Interviewee

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 21 May 2026 19:45:13 +0000

When the Interviewer becomes the Interviewee

Rusty Fleming
First and foremost, let's us all take a moment to celebrate the real reason for this great holiday that is all but upon us. And beyond that let's all make sure our plans are for a safe and happy fun-filled weekend with some glorious memories we can cherish forever. And for me, one of those memories will be a weekend where the old publisher became the "interviewee" in one of John Erling's productions of his "Voices of Oklahoma".

Sometime the middle of last year the old pro of Tulsa radio fame contacted me about being the subject of one of his interviews. I resisted at first, but no doubt I was flattered. A few weeks later, we met for the interview at the executive conference room in the GRDA Eco Building.

Since I had been friends with John for many years, a conversation with him about topics from lake issues to my time in Vietnam didn't seem all that unusual.....not to mention the dude is really good at what he does as he pulled some things out that had been locked up for a period of years.

At the conclusion of the interview, he informed me it would be after the first of the year before it hit the digital scene. Little did I know it would hit my inbox the week leading up to the first major holiday of the year. Shortly after that it was up on John's Voices of Oklahoma web site, his podcast and some form of YouTube I haven't seen as of yet. The next thing dead ahead was to give it a listen and it definitely brought back a lot of memories entrenched in this grand old lake.

If our friends and colleagues would like to take it all in, I must warn you it's long, but the link to the voices of Oklahoma is as follows:

https://voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/fleming-rusty/

Enjoy and remember it took a lot of "See Ya' Around the Ponds" to fill up this interview......Thanks John Erling and thanks Grand Lake!!

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:53:00 +0000

36th Anniversary Christmas Boat Parade

Set for Saturday night, December 13th

The thirty-sixth Annual CYC Christmas Light Boat Parade is set for Saturday night with current information indicating some 27 boats will be participating. Boat captains and their crews have been working for weeks to decorate their boats. Things will get underway at 3:00PM with participating boats on display for viewing by the public with a lakeside and dock party taking center stage. The festivities will include a bonfire, free hot chocolate and cider, 2$ hot dogs will be available, and everyone is invited to the party.

The decorated boats will be on display from 3 pm -5:30 PM with the various crews providing entertainment of sorts with Santa’s arrival scheduled for approximately 5:30 PM. The boats are scheduled to leave shortly after that with a fireworks show being the exclamation mark as the last boat leaves the marina. Following the parade, a Captain’s Party is scheduled for 7 PM with the awards ceremony to follow at 7:30. More information is available on the Cherokee or Arrowhead web sites or Facebook pages. Sunday brunch, scheduled from 10 AM – 2 PM on Sunday, will also be offered with reservations required. Enjoy the party!

What makes this Grand Lake tradition so successful is the participating Captains and wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of its sponsors. Those stepping forward to sponsor this year’s event includes Arrowhead Boat Sales & Marina, GRDA, Notable Outdoor Living, Safe Harbor/Harbors View, Cedar Port Marina, Cherokee Yacht Club, Grand Lake RV Resort, NEOC/Bolt Fiber Optics, TowBoatUS, BancFirst, Montgomery Exterminating and the Grand Lake Association

The very first Christmas Boat Parade was organized 36 years ago and has become a staple of the Christmas season on Grand Lake. That very first event, which had serious doubters when announced by the Cherokee Yacht Club, was a resounding success in 1989. The atmosphere at the pre-party could be compared to the electricity usually reserved for a championship sporting event.

I was on hand for that first event and can testify to the evening being a game-changing promotion which contributed significantly to expanding Grand Lake’s season. The atmosphere that night was extraordinary, and the excitement could have been carved up and served as dessert. There couldn’t have been a Santa suit within 250 miles that hadn’t been rented by a Grand Laker for the evening. Those of us taking part that evening were witnessing a change in the Grand Lake business as usual approach to the off-season, which would benefit our economy for years to come.

But that was then and thanks to Joe Harwood pumping life into the event year-after-year, it’s an established tradition that just keeps getting bigger and better. Television coverage will once again be available with telecast scheduled for KSNF Joplin December 20^th at 6:30PM and December 24 at 12:30PM, KSMO Kansas City Christmas day at 9:00AM, KSBI Oklahoma City December 27^th at 10:30AM and December 28^th at 10:30AM and KTUL Tulsa is set for December 28^th at 4:00PM.

Over the years there have been peaks and valleys with the numbers of participating boats and crews being as high as 35 and as low as seven, but the 35^th anniversary event last year may have been the best one ever, but this year’s event may exceed all expectations.

And as Joe Harwood said, “I would like to thank the participants, sponsors, and crowd for making this event possible. Without your participation and sponsorship, this wonderful event would not be possible. Thank You!

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

A Salute to Veterans Far & Wide, but Especially to the 11th Marines, Headquarters Battery

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 17:50:00 +0000

A Salute to Veterans Far & Wide, but Especially to the 11th Marines, Headquarters Battery, 1st Marine Division

Some years ago, we invested in a digital contraption which would convert 35 millimeter slides to digital images. In 1967, upon my arrival in beautiful southeast Asia, one of my first purchases at the Da Nang PX was a Cannon 35MM camera, to preserve what I hoped would be a once in once a life-time experience. So as we fast forward some 50-plus years, the result was revisiting places and people frozen in time during some very turbulent years….a nation divided, polarized and not so different from today, albeit as a result of different issues.

As I took that trip down memory lane, I saw images of people I hadn't thought about in years and I posted a couple of photos on my Facebook page from so long ago. The response was unexpected with some even requesting a story about my Vietnam experiences. So for the boys who served in the 11th Marines, Headquarters Battery, from February of 1967 thru March of 1968, this one's for you.

Just an average kid from Oklahoma, 22 years old, married and working as a communication's sales representative for Southwestern Bell in OKC. The military recruiting services were right across the street, in the American General Building, from our offices at 707 North Robinson. The recruiting services had been assigned to me for handling within Buck Weaver's long distance promotion sales group.

As the draft inched closer and closer, I started discussing options with my then clients. Since there was little hope that anyone in our family had the financial means or connections to buy my way into the National Guard, or any other escape route of the privileged, I started making a plan. I settled on the Marines for three foolish reasons and perhaps one good one; too many John Wayne movies, who I would discover later wasn't nearly as cavalier in a combat zone as he was on the screen, and wouldn't make a wart on Bob Hope's backside, they had a two year enlistment program and a ninety day delay before being inducted, and I kept telling myself, "maybe this will be over by then." ….I also just had some stupid mental block about being drafted.

Every Marine has a load of boot camp stories, but we'll save those for a bar-side chat at Mooney's sometime in the distant future. Let's fast forward past to where I had a complimentary "Cruise ship" experience in February of '67, along with 5,000 of my closest friends, as we crossed the Pacific on our way to Viet Nam, with intermediate stops in Hawaii and Guam. But no shore passes for us as we were held captive aboard the USS Gordon. And don't even waste your time asking if I'd like to go on a cruise anytime soon other than right here on Grand Lake.

When we arrived a few thousand meters off the coast of Vietnam, they loaded us in landing craft, just like the ones portrayed in Saving Private Ryan, to hit the beach. It seemed strange; carrying our sea bags, unarmed and met on shore by trucks taking us to our assigned units, which in some cases were many miles away…but mine was only a few miles west of Da Nang…. Hello 11th Marines, Headquarters Battery, First Marine Division, where I would spend a year of my young life.

My MOS, that be military occupational status for you non-vets, was in artillery. Fortunately, my math was better than most, so I was trained as a fire direction control center chart operator and surveyor, but the Marines were able to add field observer to that with little or no problem. I would spend approximately 75% of my time in country as an observer, not to be confused with forward observers which served with the infantry, from Observation Post Condor and Eagle to help with data required to fire on the VC positions when they were attacking the airbase at Da Nang. And accurate surveys were a big deal in an artillery outfit. Simply put, if the location of the gun positions are not precisely determined, the chances of a successful mission are at risk and the possibilities of friendly casualties becomes a real possibility. Wherever the artillery pieces were to be dispatched, the surveyors were there ahead of time to determine that precise location. So, when someone asked, "Grandpa, what did you do in Vietnam?" There's your answer.

Our survey section was made up of some great guys, from all over these United States, with a mean age much higher than most other sections. Most Marines were probably in the 18-20 age bracket, but several in our crew were in their mid-twenties, probably due to the draft and other factors. The Vietnam War was one of the few times on record the Marines had to utilize the draft. That in itself made us somewhat different than most units…at 22, I was one of the younger ones.

As I went through those images, I can't help but smile and remember more about the good times than the bad and the friends who made it bearable. OP Condor was a part of a Seabee Perimeter around a rock quarry that just happened to overlook Happy Valley. We utilized that location as an observation post and I lived there for every bit of six months. Memories include Sunday afternoon horseshoe contests with the Seabees, chewing the fat with my Seabee buddy R.I. Johnson, who hailed from none-other than Yale, Oklahoma and Don Lively from Grapevine, Texas, when it was nothing but a small, rural Texas town.

New Year's Eve celebrations featuring vodka, which had been smuggled in all the way from the states in a hollowed out loaf of bread, obviously technology has changed a bit, Tang for an orange drink mixer with a terrible taste and using tracer rounds from a 60 caliber machine gun for fireworks, which the Seabee high command didn't appreciate much.

As my time of rotation started to approach in February of '68, intelligence reports started to surface about a VC and North Vietnamese offensive which might occur during the Tet New Year holiday. For most guys, I think the greatest fear was that of being wasted after completing almost a 13-month tour and I was no different. As the bullets associated with the Tet Offensive started to fly, I was definitely a short-timer, there were a few scary moments, but before long, I was headed to the Da Nang Airbase to catch a Continental flight back to the states. A civilian flight from a combat zone still seems strange to this day, but I did appreciate those good-looking round eyed stewardesses.

One of my cherished Vietnam memories occurred as that Continental flight hurtled down the runway and was quickly approaching air speed. As we lifted from that runway so far away, the captain keyed his mic for the following announcement: "Gentlemen, you have just departed from the Republic of South Vietnam!" The place went bonkers.

I've always said I'd just as soon be lucky as good and I certainly was. When I returned home, I was never disrespected because of my service in any way, shape or form. A few close calls, a little shrapnel in the backside, but not from the enemy, a scorpion sting and some life lessons, which have served me well, taught by the United States Marine Corps.

I’ve read where less than 2% of our country’s population has served in any branch of the service…perhaps that’s the reason so many elected politicians give little thought to writing checks that are left to our military personnel to make good. In my opinion, there are a lot more fake leaders than fake journalist.

But on Veteran’s Day, which originally was intended to represent the end of the first great war at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month, I’ll be remembering a group of guys that represented diversity in virtually every possible way, but who were trained to pull together in order to get the job done. So, here’s to you R.I. Johnson, Don Lively, Brownie, Oz, Harry and James K. Saucier from Mississippi, who we dubbed the Pope due to his bald head, I just wish we could all raise our glasses, one more time, to some perilous days gone by and salute vets past, present and future.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:18:00 +0000

Aviation's Role in Taking the DCFS to a Higher Altitude

Chapter 3

Historic Jet Trainer Steals the Show in 2010

From Grand Times on Grand Lake with Rusty Fleming

Editor’s Note: When a streaking Korean era flight stole the show in Duck Creek some 15 years back, everyone wanted to know who that masked pilot was. It was Monkey Island’s Dr. John Swartz and he has been back many times in recent years. When the Air National Guard jets were grounded due to budget constraints, he and his son Corey definitely made their absence less devastating. Here’s the history we published on his very unusual hobby following that initial fly-by just like in the Tom Cruise movie.

When organizers of the Duck Creek Fireworks Show added a flyover of F-16’s assigned to the Oklahoma Air National Guard, with a big assist from General Ronnie Turner, it was a huge addition, which many of the thousands gathered in Duck Creek looked forward to with every bit as much anticipation as the big show itself. When vintage World War II aircraft were added, with the distinct sound of those roaring engines and streamers of smoke, it got even better. But when a Lockheed T-33 jet trainer, piloted by Monkey Island resident and Joplin Cardiologist John Swartz, joined Grand Lake’s biggest party, the speed and close proximity of the in air maneuvers left the crowd spell bound and asking, “Who was that pilot from yester-year?”

The next day Joe Harwood’s phone was ringing, his e-mail was chiming and some even dropped by his office to inquire about this fabulous new addition to the show. But Harwood knew little more than what vintage plane organizer Paul Mackey had shared with him and released the following statement via e-mail and on the Arrowhead web site.“I have been barraged by questions about the stunning passes of the single silver jet at our air show. It stole the show and our hearts. The story is indeed a good one.

John & Corey Swartz

The jet was a T-33 Air force jet trainer. It belongs to Dr. Swartz, who resides on Monkey Island. He attended the Air Force Academy. He had the choice of going to medical school or fighter pilot school. He chose medical school, but always wanted to fly the T-33 jet. He has been working for the past few years to get his license. The T-33 he was flying is the exact jet he would have trained in. So, he has finally been able to realize both of his dreams. Being a Dr. and a jet fighter pilot. SALUTE! And now....you know the rest of the STORY! We sure enjoyed his passes over Duck Creek!”

Mackey had revealed some of the story to Harwood, but the rest of the story is every bit as unique as the appearance of this historic jet itself. Swartz, a Pennsylvania kid grew up with a dream shared by many youngsters during the early years of the United States space program; to become a pilot and eventually make his way to the astronaut program and be part of the space adventure reserved for American heroes like John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin and more. He was well on his way to chasing that dream, when life got complicated.

Swartz was preparing to graduate from the Air force Academy in 1977, but was faced with a dilemma few could imagine. His other passion in life was the study of medicine and he was about to complete his pre-med studies, with honors. He had already been accepted into medical school, but had also qualified to become an Air force fighter pilot. Those dreams of sorties, duals in the sky and the excitement of space adventure danced through his young mind. He was looking at a serious fork in the road following graduation.

He was also about to launch his married life with Carmel, his wife, mother of their three children and companion. Rumor has it Carmel perceived the future of a medical doctor to be a bit more secure than that of a pilot in harm’s way on an annual basis.

Each year as we look back at the success the show has enjoyed, there are always serious contributors who receive little credit. It's hard to overlook A&M Pyrotechnics, who will be shooting off the show for the 21st consecutive year for sure, but what about people like the South Grand Lake Regional Airport and Brent Howard, who sponsor fly-ins and an on the ground airshow with the Tulsa War Birds? And who can overlook the GRDA and chief of the Lake Patrol Brian Edwards, who are not only a major donor to the show, but also handle on the water traffic control and emergency services. A lot of team players in this major event, but none more important than the donors who support the event year-after-year and made it possible to reach the highest foal ever of $160,000. Grand Lake history has always facinated me and this event has plenty.

See Ya' Around the Pond

The Money Man, the Music Man & a Standing Order from Captain Bill Bailey, USMC

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 18:49:00 +0000

Grand Times on Grand Lake with Rusty Fleming as we track the history of the Duck Creek Fireworks Show

Over the past few weeks, we’ve wandered down the historic trail to the 2025 Duck Creek Fireworks Show scheduled for Friday night, July 4th. Our time machine has taken us back to the forties when a few feisty members of the Cherokee Yacht Club set off fireworks on the club’s lakeside lawn to celebrate our nation’s grandest of national holidays. We’ve also reviewed how a tragic fire and subsequent bankruptcy of that very club, while disastrous at the time, lead this Grand Lake tradition to the spectacular show of patriotism it has become today.

The original "Money-Man," Skip Teel

As Joe Harwood says annually at the Sparkplug Dinner, which this year hosted a full house at the Cherokee Yacht Club, to raise funds for the show, “It’s not about the money, but it’s about the money.”

He adds, “Without a doubt this is the largest publicly funded show in the entire country!”

In the early years, Captain Bill Bailey, who practiced law in nearby Vinita, Oklahoma, would canvass area businesses to contribute to the show to celebrate our country’s freedom with the hope that $5000 could be raised for the event. In recent years, over $150,000.00 has been raised for the celebration from both private and corporate donations. The most significant event transitioning this Grand Lake spectacle from that meager beginning to what we enjoy today occurred in the early eighties.

It had become obvious that unless someone stepped up to the plate, the show would not go on. Bill Bailey had decided young Joe Harwood was up to the task and made a house call on the usually stoic Mr. Harwood, but Joe wasn’t sure he wanted to take the project on. But the old South Pacific Marine Corps vet had prevailed and Harwood was off and running.

Harwood fondly recalls, That was one great old man and he did live long enough to thank me for what we have turned the show into. If he would have been less humble and a little more self-serving, it would have gotten there a lot sooner. Bill just needed someone to tell the story he couldn’t.”

But there’s a lot more to this story of how the show was jettisoned from its simple beginning to what it has become today and that more can be equated to money. Shortly after Harwood took command of the show, he made his first donor pitch to long-time Grand Laker Skip Teel. Skip’s first recollection of Grand Lake was that of weekend visits to his uncle’s place in Drowning Creek in the late forties, prior to his dad building a place in 1951.

Skip calls Tulsa home and is a U.S. Airforce vet, who has been extremely active in the Tulsa community for years, is a board member of several Tulsa based community organizations, a graduate of T.U., active alum and supports the prevention of child abuse among other things.

Skip recalls, “Joe approached me about helping preserve and elevate a show I had been enjoying since I was a child and continued to look forward to as a young adult and later on in life. I was the first $1000 donor to the show and I did that for multiple reasons, but mainly because I wanted to preserve and continue that celebration of our freedom for future generations. I wanted them to have the same experience which had meant so much to me.”

Even though some health issues have limited his time at his safe haven, as he calls Grand Lake, he leaves little doubt about where he would like to be come Friday night when he says, “I’ll be on my boat in front of Arrowhead, between the gas dock and courtesy slips, like so many times before, if my health permits, and it never gets old.”

For an event like this extravaganza over Duck Creek celebrating our country’s independence, there is no static; either it’s getting better or it’s in decline. The addition of the flyover by the Oklahoma Air National Guard, the participation of the vintage warbirds, an occasional World War II B-17 bomber and even a cardiologist, Dr. John Swartz and his son Corey, flying Korean era T-5 trainer jets over Duck Creek has made the show better each and every year and there’s more on the way.

We don’t want to steal any thunder, but a special ending is in store and worthy of paying close attention to, but we can tell you about the new and improved plans for the music incorporated in to the show…enter the Music Man, Dunn Faires, who professes his love for music, but retired from Northeastern State University as the Associate Dean of the College of Business & Technology.

The plans for improving the show’s music, strangely enough, got its start during a road trip to the Cobalt Boat Factory in Neodesha, Kansas. Faires had taken along a friend, who was a vet. According to Faires, he introduced his friend to Joe Harwood during the bus trip and the conversation quickly turned from Cobalt Boats to the fireworks and its associated music. Faires pointed out that not all of the branches of the military were represented in the music used.

Faires recalls, “I offered to send a sound file to Joe containing an arrangement which included all five. I also pointed out that some of the largest and most successful shows in the country, like New York and Washington DC, used more patriotic and march themes.”

Joe liked what he heard and an ongoing dialogue was established to develop a custom sound track specifically dedicated to the Duck Creek Show. Over 700 numbers were reviewed and a final plan was developed.

Faires did this sizable volunteer undertaking because he’s been hanging around Grand Lake for nearly 20 years and loves the show. And his seat for the event isn’t bad either as he has owned a Spinnaker Point condo with a northerly exposure for the past many years. And as he points out, “That way I control those in attendance by invitation.”

There you have it….A Money Man, a Music Man and a Standing Order from a Real Patriot and Member in Good Standing of Our Country’s Greatest Generation! Now let’s celebrate the birth of our nation 249 years ago come Friday night, July 4^th.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!

A Look Back at the Duck Creek Fireworks Show

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:15:00 +0000

Chapter One…W.W. Bill Bailey

From Grand Times on Grand Lake with Rusty Fleming

Note: Our blog will feature the colorful history of the Duck Creek Fireworks Show as we approach theFourth

Nobody celebrated the Fourth
like "King Cracker" and
yours truly

The Duck Creek Fireworks Show is the absolute King of Traditions when it comes to the annual Grand Lake celebration of our country’s independence. At the conclusion of World War II, some of the best recognized names in this part of the state had recognized the potential of Grand Lake and purchased lakefront property. Names Like McMahon, Siegfried, Bendel, Welch and LaFortune to name a few.

They didn’t just show up and find a grand and glorious fireworks show in Duck Creek every Fourth of July. What started as a one family fireworks show to celebrate our country’s freedom quickly expanded into a multiple family event. Then the Cherokee Yacht Club was constructed in Duck Creek and many of these same families gravitated to and continued with their family fireworks celebration.

One of the earliest accounts of the meager beginning to what has become one of the largest fireworks displays in the nation comes courtesy of former Cherokee Yacht Club owner Terry Frost. According to Frost, his friend Orville Cole was the Commodore of the yacht club in 1948 and shared his memories with Frost of those early days. Cole described the 1948 celebration as a few families shooting off fireworks in front of the club and recalls a water skier making a couple of passes up Duck Creek; on the first pass he had sparklers and on the second pass he was celebrating by shooting off a Roman Candle.

Soon the club itself was spearheading the annual tradition and had assumed the lead role. But a catastrophic fire in the early eighties, followed by bankruptcy after the club’s reconstruction, put the tradition’s future in jeopardy. Since the late forties, the show had been a summertime staple on Grand Lake. It was literally on the pirate ship’s plank, awaiting execution or for Captain Morgan to appear and save the day.

Can’t say that I recall how many years Joe Harwood has been the driving force behind raising funds for the Duck Creek Fireworks Show, perhaps he’s the real Captain Morgan, but I can damn sure remember the first show I took in. The year was 1976 and I was on Everett Williams’ pontoon boat captained by his son-in-law, Rue Morgan. Morgan was never the shy type, and he had positioned himself right in front of the old Cherokee Yacht Club’s docks…. I think there may have been ten or twelve slips at most.

When the show started, the site was spectacular and so up close and personal that debris from the exploding shells were finding their way onto the deck of the old boat. The presentation above Duck Creek was far beyond anything this Oklahoma City boy had ever seen at Spring Lake or Wedgewood Amusement Parks. And the grand finale of the show was so close, I could almost touch it……The outline of the American flag in sparklers of red, white and blue….and there was some guy, who seemed to be in charge, shouting out orders to his crew on how to get it done.

I learned later, the guy I had seen was W.W. Bill Bailey and it seems he knew a thing or two about being in charge. Bill was an officer in the United States Marine Corps, World War II vintage, and a bona fide member of Tom Brokaw’s proclaimed “Greatest Generation.” He had survived six first wave landings in the South Pacific as a captain commanding an infantry unit, fondly called grunts by Marines, former and present. He was shot up, decorated and following the war, returned to Vinita, Oklahoma and started his successful law practice.

Bill was one of the ring leaders at The Cherokee Yacht Club, who incidentally instigated a fireworks show to commemorate the celebration of our independence come each Fourth of July. He was “The Duck Creek Fireworks Show.” He lit the fuses; he canvassed area businesses and Lakers for funds to purchase the ordinance and probably even cleaned up the mess on the club’s lawn the next morning, after recovering from a very special celebration the previous night. For Bill Bailey, it was just plain more than a fun time at the lake…. I suspect it was about the men he lost and his personal realization of what the price of freedom was all about.

When The Cherokee Yacht Club burned down in, I think ’82, rebuilt and eventually ended up in bankruptcy, Captain Bailey wasn’t concerned about where he would get his fried chicken on Thursday nights while the club remained closed. Bailey was most concerned about preserving a Grand Lake tradition he had personally helped build.

Having been a full-time resident of Grand Lake since 1981, I always knew Joe Harwood had stepped forward to salvage the show. Like you perhaps, at the time, I might have been grateful the show was going to go on, but deep down probably thought it was at least partially about putting butts in those yacht club seats come the Fourth of July.

On special and significant occasions, Harwood has reached back into those memory cells from circa 1982 and shared just how persuasive councilor Bailey could be. It had become obvious that unless someone stepped up to the plate, the show would not go on. Bill Bailey had decided young Joe was up to the task and made a house call on the usually stoic Mr. Harwood, but Joe wasn’t sure he wanted to take the project on.

He recalls thinking, “This is like free kittens at the grocery store” and asking Bailey, “Why would I want to do that?”

Joe recalls how Bailey explained to him just how important an emblem of our Independence the Duck Creek celebration had become. He recounted his memories of those six first wave landings and shared with Joe the number of casualties his unit had suffered. He shared with him how he had spent six years away from home, fighting for his country, and he’d be damned if the show to celebrate what he had fought for wasn’t going to continue.

Harwood recounts the event like it was yesterday when he says, “That conversation took place right here on the Arrowhead deck. And by the time Bill was done, I was ready to do anything he asked with respect to the show. And as they say the rest is history and we’ve gone from $5,000 and $10,000 shows to what we have today.

Harwood adds, “Bill remained very involved in the show and I recall asking him for advice on more than one occasion. One year, the forecast looked terrible and there was a threat of rain. I called Bill and asked him what I should do if it rains, to which he replied, ‘Hell boy, it isn’t going to rain…it’s the Fourth of July.’ And you know what? It didn’t.”

In an e-mail exchange with Harwood a few years ago, he was a little more revealing about that conversation and recruiting visit from the Marine Captain Bill Bailey from so long ago and wrote, “In his very measured dressing down of my pompous, spoiled ass, he let me know he had left half of his original platoon in the south pacific. He never raised his voice or touched me. But it was the worst ass kicking I’ve ever received! I never forgot it and it did put a fire in me that has not gone out.”

He went on to write, “That was one great old man, and he did live long enough to thank me for what we have turned the show into. If he had been less humble and a little more self-serving, it would have gotten there a lot sooner. Bill just needed someone to tell the story he couldn’t.”

In the end, it has become obvious Bill Bailey’s Fireworks Show is about a lot more than putting butts in yacht club seats. There is a lot of raw emotion for a lot of different personal reasons and none bigger than the celebration of our country’s independence.

If you don’t want a house call from Captain W.W. Bill Bailey ghost, I suggest dusting off that checkbook and doing your part to preserve Bill’s party. The sound of freedom, baby…. Let’s all chip in and celebrate the freedom we enjoy in the greatest country on earth.

Next week: Chapter II – When the Sound of Freedom entered the creek it was a game changer!

See Ya’Around the Pond!

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 08 May 2025 15:41:00 +0000

Rusty Fleming

Mother's Day, Simple, Yet Complex for Yours Truly

The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. St Andrew's Methodist Church now holds the International Mother's Day Shrine. Her campaign to make Mother's Day a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died.

Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and created Mother's Day Work Clubs to address public hralth issues. Anna Jarvis wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she started and to set aside a day to honor all mothers because she believed a mother is "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world".

As Paul Harvey would have proclaimed, “Now for the rest of the story!” I always knew I was an adopted child, along with my two siblings, but never thought much about having the privilege of two Mothers and boy do I owe them big time. My adopted Mother was a mother for the ages and raised me and nurtured me to the max, while serving as my defense attorney in matters of importance with my dad. But, without the sacrifices of my birth mother, there would have been no life to celebrate or life-long Grand Style party.

My adopted Mother passed away in 1999, but by 1996 she had been converted to a Grand Laker and resided on Chigger Street in Langley, Oklahoma. We shared a lot of great conversations in those last three years and no doubt when she was promoted to the here-after she knew I loved her to the moon and back. She never stopped encouraging me to seek out my birth mother.

It was never held back from those Fleming kids that all three were adopted. In my adolescent years it wasn’t something I wanted to be known. It kind of fell right up there with those homemade shirts my Mom would make. She sewed labels in those shirts so none of my teammates at Northwest Classen High School would discover I was wearing homemade clothing as we dressed and undressed in the locker room. In retrospect, I should have been wearing those garments like a badge and asking those very teammates if their mothers could do the same.

For several years before her death, my mom offered to share my adoption records so if I wanted to I could seek out my birth parents. In those days, my attitude was fairly jaded as I thought to myself, “The Hell with em’. They didn’t want me so why should I care about them?”

But as the years passed by, I have to admit my curiosity started to grow. My older sister had tracked down her birth family and discovered she had a family history and siblings she had never known existed. She was all over my backside to get with the program.

As my curiosity grew, I convinced myself I needed to explore my background to discover any hereditary health issues. After conducting brief online research, I delegated the project to my sister's daughter, who has a keen interest in genealogy. She identified my birth mother, complete with address and phone number, in less than a couple of days….and that was in her spare time away from her teaching job…….but what was I going to do with the information.

After much prodding from my family, the tough guy finally wrote a letter of introduction. It was primarily asking for confirmation that she was the mother of a child born at Deaconess Hospital on March 21, 1944 in Oklahoma City. I also told her I was interested in the family health history, wasn’t looking for a mother, because I already had one, and that if she wanted no contact I fully understood and would respect her wishes. When a week passed by after mailing that fateful letter, I concluded she had no interest in hearing from a child out of the distant past or wasn’t the mother. But I was dead wrong.

I heard from her on an Easter Sunday evening and all of a sudden the tough guy wasn’t so tough. She apologized for taking so long to respond to my letter by saying, “I had some business to attend to, I have four other living children, who have never known of your existence, and I had to tell them first.” She then added, “My birthday is March the 18^th and not a year goes by that I didn’t think about you on yours because it’s so close to mine.”

The rest is history as they say. We went to McAlester for that first meeting not really knowing what to expect, but a more genuine person I’ve never met. My siblings were receptive and made me wonder how I might have felt in similar circumstances. And our relationship continued to grow year after year.

As we prepared to leave after that first visit, we embraced and she said, “It’s like a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. All these years, people would ask how many children I had and I always knew there was one more than the number I answered with.”

The mystery had finally been unraveled. She passed away at 93, but had enjoyed a happy life in McAlester, Oklahoma. I was just really grateful for the prodding and divine intervention which finally enabled me to make the connection. If I was honest, I would admit it was always all about me. What kind of dark secrets would be revealed, and did I really want to know them….The secrets were revealed and they turned out to be really good ones.

It's kind of like the old cliché about if they return it was meant to be…if not, it never was. My birth mother turned me loose for a better life….my parents certainly provided that and much, much more. I returned full circle from where I started, to find out the world, indeed, is a special place and just as I always thought, I am special, but so are many others. A salute to all you Mothers out there and have a Grand Day as it was earned in oh so many ways.

See Ya Around the Pond

A Christmas Celebration for one & All

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 16:07:00 +0000

35th Anniversary Christmas Boat Parade Set
for Saturday night, December 14th

The boats will once again be spectacular

The thirty-fifth Annual CYC Christmas Light Boat Parade is set for Saturday night with current information indicating some 35 boats will be participating. Boat captains and their crews have been working for weeks to decorate their boats. Things will get underway at 3:00PM with participating boats on display for viewing by the public with a poolside and dock party taking center stage. The festivities will include a bonfire, free hot chocolate and cider, 2$ hot dogs will be available, and everyone is invited to the party.

The decorated boats will be on display from 3 pm -5:30 PM with the various crews providing entertainment of sorts with Santa’s arrival scheduled for approximately 5:30 PM. The boats are scheduled to leave shortly after that with a fireworks show being the exclamation mark as the last boat leaves the marina. Following the parade a Captain’s Party is scheduled for 7 PM with the awards ceremony to follow at 7:30. More information is available on the Cherokee or Arrowhead web sites or Facebook pages. Sunday brunch, scheduled from 10 AM – 2 PM on Sunday, will also be offered with reservations required. Enjoy the party!

What makes this Grand Lake tradition so successful is the participating Captains and wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of its sponsors. Those stepping forward to sponsor this year’s event includes Prosperity Bank, Morrison Construction, Arrowhead Boat Sales & Marina, GRDA, Notable Outdoor Living, Safe Harbor/Harbors View, Cedar Port Marina, Cherokee Yacht Club, Hammerhead Marina, Grand Lake Cabins, and the Grand Lake Association

The very first Christmas Boat Parade was organized 35 years ago and has become a staple of the Christmas season on Grand Lake. That very first event, which had serious doubters when announced by the Cherokee Yacht Club, was a resounding success in 1989. The atmosphere at the pre-party could be compared to the electricity usually reserved for a championship sporting event.

Over the years there have been peaks and valleys with the numbers of participating boats and crews being as high as 30 and as low as seven, but the 34^th anniversary event last year may have been the best one ever, but this year’s event may exceed all expectations.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 15:30:00 +0000

A Grand Thanksgiving to One and All!

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I’m reminded of all those blessings our family has reason to give thanks for. I’m also reminded of days gone by and how drastically things have changed in my short life time. This particular holiday is no exception.

As a youngster growing up in Oklahoma City area, I can remember many Thanksgivings which were similar from year-to-year. The women and girls were occupied preparing a feast by any standard, while the men and boys spent the morning Quail hunting some 20 miles south of the city. There were aunts, uncles, cousins and every other form of family one can imagine. It was a traditional and family affair. But those were much simpler times and a lot has changed since those days.

To me, Thanksgiving 1963 represented the beginning of a change in our entire society. It started with the shocking news of President John Kennedy’s assignation in Dallas. I don’t suppose anyone old enough to remember can’t recall where they were when they heard the news. I was returning from Central State College, located in Edmond and now known as the University of Central Oklahoma, where I had attended classes that morning.

WKY Radio interrupted their programming at approximately 12:30 p.m. to announce the president had been shot and to join the ongoing national coverage. Not knowing what else to do, I headed for the same place I had always gone before when I perceived something was wrong. I headed for 1219 North Portland where my parents had resided for as long as I could remember. Together, we huddled closely to their old Philco TV set as the news from Dallas got steadily worse. Our worst fears confirmed…President Kennedy was dead.

As I look back on that dark day, I realize it probably represented the death of my innocence. I had never dreamed such an event could take place in this country. This kind of thing was something Huntley & Brinkley would chronicle during their evening telecast from some far away place in another part of the world, not in the United States of America. But this was just the tip of the iceberg. The assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., along with the whole Vietnam experience would change our society forever. Shocking events were becoming less shocking and there was a division in our nation not witnessed since the civil war. Yet there was more to come.

In recent years, we magnified our lists of tragic experiences with the Columbine mass shootings, the bombing of the Murrah Building in my home town and the horrific events of 9/11and unexplained shootings no longer even make the front pagee. Not to mention the many combat related events around the world we’ve engaged in as the self appointed sheriff for all of man kind..

Coors was the drug of choice in my Oklahoma City high school and violence was defined by students squaring off at nearby Reed Park to settle their differences. There was some talk of brass knuckles, pipes instead of pipe bombs, and other weapons of mass destruction, but none did I ever personally used or have used on me. No guns, crack, marijuana and the list goes on, and indeed, the times have changed.

Yet, we’ve solved so many problems during this same period of time. Great depressions can now be avoided and the means utilized can be seen debated in the form of bumper stickers. Many forms of Cancer can now be cured and I’m living proof of that. We have the technology to put men on the moon and space travel is no longer a big deal. Computers which used to fill a room can now be balanced in your lap; and your wife can track you down wherever you are via a cell phone or worse yet a smart phone….Thank God for caller ID.

Yet our politicians and leaders resemble kids fighting over toys in a sand box. The rural areas of our country, just like this one, are growing by leaps and bounds due to the exodus from the metro areas fueled by its crime rate and more. More energy is expended in covering one’s backside than in addressing a specific problem. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times but I hope not.

But regardless of all the issues we can find to complain about, we still reside in the greatest nation on earth. This same huge pot, which brought together so many different nationalities to form our nation, still has a lot of work to do. There are problems to be addressed and solutions to be found.

This Thanksgiving might we all give thanks to the courage and sacrifices made by those who came before us to insure our way of life. Let’s just hope that future generations will have reason to give a similar salute to the current caretakers of the greatest nation ever formed. As we gather round that table to give thanks, enjoy our family and friends and enjoy the feast, let’s all pray for the custodians of our nation regardless of their political or religious persuasion.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 19:49:00 +0000

The Grand “Fall Ball” is Underway!

It just gets better in spite f the lack of rain late in the season

All right Grand Lakers…let’s step back from the ledge for a moment, realize it is fall on the pond and ponder the beauty of this lake we have called home for the past forty-three years. As I sat on my perch overlooking Grays Hollow a few evenings ago, the waters were nearly calm, with a slight north breeze cooling the air hovering just above our lake of choice. The shad were schooling, which meant the Sand Bass couldn’t be far away. Tranquility to Grand Lake base, come in!

It’s times like these which truly make Grand Lake a very special place. And it’s never more pronounced than in the first few weekends immediately following the Labor Day holiday. It’s almost as though you were awakened to find your favorite weekend lake retreat had been magically relocated. Summer’s night-time sounds of fun and frolic have been replaced by the calls of owls, and soon the honking of geese will be heard from overhead as they wing their way to their winter homes……at least we hope so. And in the not too distant future, we’ll find ourselves before an open fire, longing for those warm summer days and a golf course accented by green, growing grass.

Personally, I can never decide if my favorite time is the “Spring-Fling” or the “Fall Ball.” The renewal taking center stage in March and April always proves to be miraculous, but the fall display of color in these Ozark foot hills is also truly spectacular. With the associated calm waters and pleasant temperatures, it’s hard to imagine a better time to be alive. A time to gaze out and truly ponder what’s important in this life we have chosen to lead. A time to reflect on where it is we have been and what we might have left to do. The changing of the seasons, at least for me, sends a strong signal with regards to our own mortality.

But reality is usually just an e-mail or phone call away. As I look back at this time on the calendar from years gone by, I’m reminded of the less than thirty days of Hell till the upcoming election. Of how tired I’ve become of the “You’re wrong, I’m right” mentality, or is that vice versa? How we will assail one another over political philosophies as though we were from different countries. Where snarls have replaced reason, and where bridges will be burned, which will be difficult to rebuild. But it’s the American way, right?

I’m often told how fortunate I am to live on this great lake. I’ve even had a friend repeatedly say over the years, “When I grow up, I want to be just like Rusty.” But no matter where you live, or your chosen career path, reality is never too far away.

I can’t help but recall the run-up to the fall elections of ’96. My Dad, a life-long Democrat, who had plucked me from Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City to adopt me as his own, was seriously ill and would pass on before the election. He had raised me, taught me the difference between right and wrong, delivered a powerful message on how being lazy was not an option, been there every time I needed him and provided me some simple explanations that have never failed me throughout this life. To him, the son of a poor dirt farmer from Faxon, Oklahoma, politics was a simple choice and he explained it to me like this. “Son, it’s really simple. You can either give ‘em a hand, or you can give ‘em the back of your hand.”

In ’96, I was still the owner and publisher of The Chronicle of Grand Lake Newspaper. Our publication had long passed the stage of fearing the consequences of expressing our thoughts and opinions on the state-of-the-lake and other issues. A letter I received during that political run-up still resides in my memory bank today. The letter urged me to put my bias aside. It went on to council me on paying close attention to the author’s thoughts, since most of our readers were conservative. And if I elected to print the author’s letter of political advice and personal attack for my previously stated beliefs, “Please, no editorial comments to detract from my letter if you print it.”

I remember thinking at the time, I used to be naïve enough to think I determined the content of the publication. The reality and shortcomings of the political season is never far away….then or now.

Thank God for the “Fall Ball,” the geese, the ducks, the fish, golf and all the other things making sense out of this world we live in. Not much has changed over the past twenty-eight years.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!

Labor Day Weekend will always be Special!

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 15:24:00 +0000

Labor Day Weekend will always be Special!

Every Grand Laker has a story

Just livin the dream!

All holiday weekends on Grand Lake are special in many different ways to many different people, but the 1976 Labor Day weekend was a life-changer in every possible way for yours truly. As I’ve written on many occasions, Grand Lake serves as a backdrop for making memories to be recalled for years to come, and though I had spent many weekends here previously, Labor Day weekend ’76 was mile-marker number one for me on a long winding road with my beloved pond being the star of the show. You see, it was Labor Day ’76 when I became a full-fledged Grand Laker with the purchase of a little piece of heaven located in Grays Hollow.

I had spent most of the summer bumming off my good friends Rue and Kathy Morgan in Duck Creek, or occasionally actually paying for a place to stay in one of the upscale cabins, which actually looked more like storage sheds, at the historic Duck Creek Landing. If it gives you a clue, those cabins were among the first structures dozed by John Mullen when he bought the property from Dale and Grace Fowler and founded Thunder Bay Marina. By August, I had contracted a severe dose of Grand Lake fever and was feverishly looking for a place to purchase on a data sales manager’s meager salary at Southwestern Bell.

I had stumbled onto a local realtor, Karol Gregory, who was affiliated with the legendary and historic Pigeon Riley Real Estate Company. Pigeon was a GRDA systems operator by day and real estate magnate in his off hours. I was impressed that Karol elected to transport me by boat from property-to-property, telling me how we could cover a lot more ground in a shorter period of time. But in reality, the location of property in my price range didn’t include much more than goat paths in the way of roads, Actually, I would suggest to you the four wheelers below the dam enjoy better roadways than those off the beaten path east of Disney in 1976.

One of the places Karol seemed to think would be a perfect fit for a single guy like me was located in Grays Hollow…or as I would later find out was referred to by most as Dripping Springs. The showing occurred during the week…not a boat in sight, three slip dock, all be it about to sink, a mobile home with a huge deck out front constructed from rough cut cedar produced at the local mill on Topsy Road…alias the Topsy Turnpike. The current owners, the Solemans, even left plans for an “A” frame addition for a larger living space. The deal was made, financing secured, and a closing date was set for the Friday of Labor Day weekend 1976 at Pigeon Riley’s office.

After a trip across-the-street following the closing to the historic Cove Club to celebrate the deal, where three years later I would propose marriage to the lovely Lynda Fleming, it was off to my new lake place with its 107’of waterfront and it was all mine. I remember sipping my drink of choice, looking down at my three-slip cruiser dilapidated dock and thinking, “How could it get much better than this?”

The next morning, following an early trip to Frosty & Edna’s for breakfast, I headed out to my spacious deck to enjoy my little piece of paradise. I had just started on my second cup of coffee when two boats came idling into my new secluded cove….and they were followed by four more and they were followed by eight more and by now I was discovering there might have been some information about Grays Hollow I wasn’t aware of. Back then jet boats we’re the rage of the lake and when they weren’t capsizing, they were racing. On this particular day, they were racing from the Dripping Springs bluff, out to mouth of my secluded cove, circling the “No Wake” buoys and heading back to the drip. I was 32, single and up for a good time, so it really just didn’t seem like much of a problem at the time…..and to this day it still doesn’t.

Many times, over the years, I have been asked why I don’t sell this place, move out of this shantytown and move to the rich side of my beloved lake, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. In reality, there’s only about six weekends a year where the traffic is that much of a factor and for the other 46 weeks, our cove pretty much belongs to us.

We once had a rich broker who ended up buying a place in our cove and when asked why, he would proudly explain, “I like being with the little people.” But if diversity is a measure of a cove’s worth, we’ve got it all. Our little people’s cove, where all the rich kids come to park, is made up of lawyers, doctors, hospital administrators, commercial sand company magnates, tool pushers, commercial real estate developers, car wash owners, retired cops, bar owners, salesman, an aircraft after-market dude, another broker, not to be identified with the first, an office furniture factory rep, an aeronautics guy, a has been publisher, a drug rep of the legal variety and most recently an Okies in reverse deal with some folks from California taking up residence next door.

Yours truly may not have the net worth of one of the little people in certain ways, but with immeasurable wealth in other ways. To have dumped the corporate lifestyle for the Grand Lifestyle was, indeed, a life changing decision motivated by quality over quantity. We celebrate the passing of the snowy season and the nesting of the wood ducks in February, the return of the Purple Martins around the first of March, the Crappie spawn in April, warmer water temperatures in May, the return of thousands of our closest friends come Memorial Day weekend and most importantly, we wake up here every day to beauty not found on any metro-plex cul-de-sac.

The biggest body of water I frequented as a kid was my dad’s farm pond located South of Oklahoma City between Blanchard and Newcastle. My friends would join me on fishing outings, shooting bull frogs with our air rifles and drag our kill or catch home for my mom to deal with. Grand Lake or any other body of water will always be a pond to me, but with more surface acres of water and the toys of choice have changed. Celebrating 48 years as a Grand Laker and I still believe, the best is yet to come, but how could your glass be less than half full living the Grand Lifestyle?

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

Grand Lake's 84th Birthday party coming up

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 20:12:00 +0000

11^th Annual Grand Lake Birthday Bash set for this Weekend!

The birthday celebration to mark the completion of the construction of The Pensacola Dam in 1940 is set for August 10^th 11^th in Lawhead Hollow. It will be the 84th birthday for the historic Pensacola Dam that changed the face of northeastern Oklahoma and introduced economic, recreational and flood control opportunities never seen before. The event will once again be hosted in the cove where some of the biggest rocks stars in the business frequent Grand Lake in years gone by.

Though the big music event is scheduled for Saturday, August 10^th, event organizer Joe Harwood is encouraging an open-to-the-public over-night raft-out the night before the music on Saturday. Plans call for raft-out participants to bring a covered dish with brats and dogs provided by Harwood and his fellow sponsors. Saturday morning will be launched with breakfast burritos and Bloody Mary’s. As they say, “Come early, stay late and claim a premiere position for your craft as you’re entertained by the Barrett Lewis Band from 1-5pm.”

Call it what you will…Hippie Hollow, Russell Cove or the official name on most maps, Lawhead Hollow, this location has a lot of music history thanks to the late, great rock star Leon Russell. In a July 30th, 1972 story in the Tulsa World, Russell revealed how he had purchased an eight acre parcel of Grand Lake land for $75,000 and his plans to construct a compound complete with a 3,500 lake home, the finest recording studio in the southwest and maybe even in the country and the refurbishing of two other structures; one which had a concrete minnow tank and served as a bait house and the original cabin. The property was originally owned byTulsan Gilbert Reaves who owned Empire Sheet Metal. In its glory days, it operated as a fishing motel. Long-time resident on Lawhead Hollow, Barbara Haver, reports, "Each rental unit had a slip to moor a boat, a hot plate for cooking and a bed."

The idea to move the Woodstock on the Water event there and celebrate not only the dam's birthday, but the presence of a rock star on Grand Lake actually was initiated by Grove resident Pete Chuchwell. Churchwell, a former member of the GRDA Board of Directors and a lifelong Grand Laker, had the initial idea of changing the name of the cove to acknowledge the Russell presence. Event organizer Joe Harwood thought it was a great idea to host the event there and honor Russell all at the same time.

Tulsa Chiropractor Rick Huskey, who now owns the property, is a huge Russell fan and a drummer when not practicing his day job, was all in and the plans started to take shape. Huskey, a musician, suggested the bands play from his deck adjacent to Hippie Hollow Cove. Out of respect for Dr. Huskey, access will be by water only with security on hand to make sure that happens.

Harwood said, “Each and every "Grand Lake" birthday is really a monumental achievement that is worthy of recognition. There are so many facets to the face of Grand Lake that I think a lot can be overlooked or forgotten altogether. Forgotten altogether is my main concern. Grand Lake has changed the lives of thousands of people (of which I am one) and is destined to change thousands more.”

He added, “Sometimes I worry about us overlooking just how much we have to offer and our lack of excitement in promoting ourselves. At Grand Lake, it’s my observation that we make so little out of so much. Everywhere else seems to make so much out of so little! Happy birthday Grand Lake! And the broad spectrum of people that have made us what we are!”

The music event will be from 1-5pm on Saturday, August 10th and should be a huge event for Grand Lake. Join in to party in the cove where the likes of Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Phoebe Snow, J.J. Cale, Willis Alan Ramsey, Freddy King, the Gap Band, George Harrison and more frequented to relax and record right here on Grand Lake. And don’t neglect to tip your hat to the sponsors who are making the event …..Grand Lake Boat & RV Storage, Grand River Dam Authority, Cherokee Yacht Club, McKibben & Company Realty, Youngblood Floor Company, Arrowhead Yacht Club, Grand Lake Association, NEO Electric and Bolt Fiber Optics

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

Has Another Visionary Surfaced on the Pond?

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 18:49:00 +0000

The Covert business was recognized

by the SGL Chamber as their

Business of the Year in 2023

When I first laid eyes on Grand Lake in 1970, there were several marina-oriented visionaries who had guided our lake’s waterfront development, and none loomed larger than Carlos Langston. Langston was the founder of Port Carlos Marina, now known as Scissortail Marina, and set the bar high when it came to boat sales, services and associated charges. Some marina operators, including Joe Harwood and others, credit Langston with pioneering rates that would generate revenues to support a living wage in a seasonal environment.

In the forty-plus years I’ve lived full-time on the pond, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of Grand Lake’s most impactful visionaries, including Joe Harwood, Terry Frost, Ugly John Mullen, Pete & Jim Howser, Art & June Box, Brent Howard, Larry Reasor, Jim Ratcliff, Dave Wall, Ed Townsend, Jerry Hopper, Pack St. Clair, Eddy Gibbs, John Williams, Russell Vanover and the list goes on. If you do not recognize all these names that’s fine cause we are here to talk about South Grand Lake’s newest visionaries, Larry and Tracy Covert.I have to admit that from time-to-time some of the previously mentioned visionaries would confide in the old newspaper guy what they were up to next, and I have to confess being shocked from time to time, but these Covert people just started building and let the speculation develop a life of its own. But soon the word was out that Grand Towne Center & Storage, located at the corner of Hwy. 82 & 440 Road, might just be something special with more to come.

But we’re getting ahead of the story; just how did a couple with established business roots in Catoosa, Oklahoma, feel the gravity of nearby Grand Lake…. It’s the water stupid!

It all started with the purchase of a twenty-one foot Rinker and later upping their boat game to a Monterey Cruiser and weekend and holiday stays at Pine Lodge on Duck Creek. Soon their eyes turned more to the east and Grand Lake as opposed to their Catoosa business interests. Their construction company, founded along with Larry’s Dad in 1989, was still their main focus along with a newly constructed storage facility and they were still investors in a Catoosa Restaurant. Their son Chris was also actively involved in the family business The sale of their storage facility in 2022 soon simplified their operation and allowed for more Grand Lake time and a lifestyle change.

A vision takes shape

Soon Larry had made an offer on a fifteen-acre tract, closed the deal and started sketching out ideas on how to utilize the property. Tracy says, “When he proudly showed me his first sketch of what would become our center, I proclaimed, ‘It looks just like Lowes,’” I am told some even refer to the now very functional project as “Langley Lowes.”

Did we mention the water?

Larry and Tracy’s eventual vision included a no-holds-barred business center, storage facility and future home for the construction company. If a Laker drives up highway 82 from Langley, they cannot help but marvel at the size of the center, but it gets better. These visionaries are also developing plans for an apartment complex on the back side of the property.

Current tenants, who have recognized the potential of the center, include Beau’s Deli & Market – John & Shelly Walsh, Spirit Ranch Dog Training & Grooming – Amy Vaughn, Pirates Cove – Ryan Huffcut, W.D. Construction Log Homes – Tracy & Chris Covert, Bootylicious Boutique – Tracy Covert, Twisted on Grand – Jules Rogers, Grand Lake Hair Co – Bobbie Reese, Gieser Plumbing Co – Trace & Jamie Gieser with more to come.

As Tracy said during our interview for this blog, “It’s a God thing! When one door closes another one opens.” Now ain’t that the truth. Lakers know the drill….Stop by and check out these visionaries or visit their online presence with a simple search

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

The Allure of that Grandest Older Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 14:37:00 +0000

Grand Laker for life, Rusty Fleming

When I laid my eyes on her for the first time in 1970, I was stunned by her beauty as this flatlander had never seen anything like her before. It was April of 1970, and I was a mere 26 years old and she would turn thirty in August.

The age factor was never even the smallest of considerations as this beautiful lady captured the imagination of this first-time visitor to far northeastern Oklahoma. Little did I know at the time the significant role this stunning lady would play in my life. When I was first transferred from the red clay flatlands surrounding Oklahoma City to Tulsa in 1970, courtesy of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, I was fortunate to be assigned to work under the supervision of long-time Grand Laker Carl Carman. Carl was responsible for taking me to Grand Lake for that very first time, fifty-four years ago this month, and introduced me to the mysterious and captivating Lady Grand.

As with most beautiful women encountered along the way, the moment was spectacular, but I had little idea of the impact that long ago weekend might have on the future. The spell had been cast, and the boy, whose idea of a body of water was a farm pond located south of Oklahoma City, was about to be infected with what I’ve often described as the Grand Lake Gotcha’ Syndrome.

Just another days in paradise

Each April as I reflect back on my personal relationship with this captivating lady, who will now turn eighty-four in August, I’m reminded of a visit to a fortune teller/star gazer or whatever term was in vogue for such people during the seventies. Lynda and I went on a lark, but when this lady behind the Chrystal ball forecasted a significant impact of liquid in my future, I thought immediately about my Dad’s farm; the same farm where that pond was located I so dearly loved. But it also had a couple of oil leases and my thought was that oil would definitely be the liquid most likely to impact our future. Now I can’t help but ponder if she was talking about those healin’ waters of Grand Lake.

The metamorphosis was slow, but the end result was predictable. There was camping for weekend visits, staying in rented quarters like the Grand Lake Waldorf, which was nothing more than some storage sheds with a bed and a bath prior to Ugly John dozing them to make room for Thunder Bay, trailering the boat to validate that all experience has value and then finally justifying that piece of Grand lake real estate in 1976.

Then five years later, after multiple Sunday evenings as a weekender dreading that trip back to the metroplex, a life-changing decision to make Grand our permanent home. Anytime I’m lured back to Tulsa, most likely for a Sam’s stop, some medical related appointment or just passing through on our way to Stillwater for extremely important business, I’m invariably taken hostage by traffic on Sheridan, Memorial or any other number of other streets. It’s then more than any other time that I’m reminded of the debt I owe to that older woman who captured my fancy in 1970.

She’s aged a bit, got a few new wrinkles, mostly from the development of her shoreline, and there are certainly more Grand Lakers than there were in the seventies, but she’s still just as magnificent as ever. This lifestyle certainly isn’t for everyone, and many would become bored after their first winter here on my beloved pond. But for me, the changing of the seasons and experiencing everything Mother Nature serves up free of charge, is what makes this place priceless. Whether it’s the arrival of our friends the Purple Martins to take up residence in the houses erected atop our dock, the sitting of that first hummingbird of the season or the annual crappie spawn, spring is always popular around our place.

But so is the summer and the gathering of thousands of our closest friends in our cove, but then so is the fall ball and that long awaited first blaze in the outdoor fireplace as we hear those honkers and ducks passing overhead on a night accented by a full moon. Then we are on to the Christmas Boat Parade in December and that much anticipated first magnificent snow fall of the year. And before we know it, we’re anticipating the arrival of our migratory friends, who became snowbirds and headed south for the winter like many of our friends, but we just couldn’t find a real good reason to vacate Grand Lake regardless of the time of year.

Fifty-four years later and in the eyes of this beholder, she’s still magnificent.

See Ya’ Around the Pond

Nine Foot Tall & Bullet Proof No More

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 14:06:00 +0000

On Saturday morning, February 10^th, it was a quiet winter’s morning on Grays Hollow. As I headed down to the dock, not one person was stirring. Little did I know that fact alone would play a significant role in what was about to happen in a lightning quick moment that would launch my 79 years on the planet before my very eyes.

Many years ago we had discarded a water slide, but not the associated water spigot plumbed through the decking to provide a water supply to the slide. In one giant step, as I headed for other side of the dock, I tripped and was launched head-long towards the vacant, but largest of our three slips. As I surfaced, I immediately realized the gravity of the situation…especially with a zip-up hoodie sweatshirt on that now felt like it weighed around 50-plus pounds. My thoughts were confined to identifying a route outta’ this predicament and my utter lack of respect for life jackets over the years.

On any given Saturday during the boating season, thousands of people would have been found enjoying those healing waters of Dripping Springs, but today, when I needed them most, there wasn’t a soul in site. I can’t deny some thoughts about life threatening events in my life like cancer, a tour of duty in Vietnam as a Marine, Pneumonia and a few near misses during night-time boating. But the thought my beloved pond might lead to my demise was unthinkable.. The water temp was in the low forties, my route of escape was lengthy when a voice from our house shouted, “Do you need help?”

I started to respond with one of my smart-ass one liners, instead I decided “Yes Dear” would be an appropriate response. My heaven-sent angel made her way to the dock and the first order of business was shedding that heavy hoodie, getting a rope to help me navigate across the open slip, get the pontoon off the lift and access its ladder to rescue my arse. But….that’s when Murphy reared his ugly head!

We’ve had that pontoon for over two years but had never had the ladder in the down position since these days our swimming takes place mostly off our dock. Now check this out Mr. McClure, neither of your clients were smart enough to get the ladder in the down position. By this time my amphibious training, complements of the good ‘ol USMC, was becoming stressed…On to the next objective!

The wet-steps ladder was in sight and this near-miss was about to come to an end. Cold, num and a little battered and bruised, but as I like to say, “Still Upright.” After making my way to the house, taking a hot shower and starting to ponder the entire morning’s events, I realized just how fortunate I had been. I remembered how many times I had stumbled over that spicket and how now job one would be its removal. An intervention movement was underway within my family to ban me from frequenting the dock alone. Mentally I hired Harvey Spector and Mike Ross from the hit Netflix series Suits, to negotiate my case. Since they never lose, we settled on the use of a water-activated life jacket at all times.

On Grand Lake, the official water safety police is headed up by Lake Patrol Chief Brian Edwards and he has the uniform to prove it. When I told him my story, he said, “Ever heard of the 50/50 rule?” I had not so he went on to explain: “A fifty-year-old person has a 50 -50 chance of surviving 50 minutes in fifty degree water.” The prognosis of a 79-year-old man in 40-something degree water wasn’t a scenario I wanted to think about. I started to clearly appreciate the gravity of the situation. I’m now a lifejacket advocate and hope all Grand Lakers will join in that effort. Tragedy can strike ever so fast from the least likely of places. As I said, “”Nine foot tall and bulletproof no more.”

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

An Interview with God You Say?

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 16:02:00 +0000

An Interview with God You Say?

Publishers Note: This is a column I put together many years ago and always seems appropriate as the Christmas season rolls around year-after-year. The year originally used is buried in the deep recesses of my laptop, but I suspect it was around 2011 since that when my first knee surgery occurred. I’ve taken some liberties but enjoy the message and the reason for the season.

Earlier this week, I swung by The Coves pro shop for a bit of lunch for the first time since my knee replacement surgery on Pearl Harbor Day. There weren’t many around as the temperature on the first tee was hovering around forty and it didn’t appear the all-knowing “Noon Group” would muster a game. George McCreary, by choice, and Jim Gray, because he’s paid to do so, were the only ones on hand.

After proudly displaying the still-in-place staples

View from the Publisher's Perch

holding my right knee together following the long overdue surgery, McCreary inquired as to what I might be doing with the rest of the day since golf didn’t seem to be an option. I told my audience of two I had a column to write for this week’s Grand Times on Grand Lake blog. George followed up his original question by asking, “What heavy issue of importance will be in your blog this time?” I said simply, “It’s an interview with God.”

The silence was deafening, but McCreary, who is rarely at a loss for words, went on to inquire, “You been asking for God’s help with your golf game?” I told George he’d just have to check it out on Facebook or visit my blog at Grand Times on Grand Lake with yours truly and find out, but the answer is as follows for the sake of convenience.

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

“Come in,” God said. “So, you would like to interview Me?”

“If you have the time,” I said.

God smiled and said, “My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?”

So, I said, “What surprised you the most about mankind?”

God answered, “That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. Then they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and then die as if they had never lived.”

God’s hands took mine. We were silent for a while and then I asked: “As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?”

God replied with a smile, “To learn they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is let themselves be loved. To learn what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives. To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis. To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most but is the one who needs the least. To learn it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in people we love, and that it takes many years to heal them. To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. To learn there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings. To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.”

“To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.”

“To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them…and likes them anyway. To learn that it isn’t always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves.”

I sat there for a while enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for His time and for all He had done for me, and my family and He replied, “Anytime. I’m here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for Me and I’ll answer.”

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

A confession for the record: George and Jim Gray really didn’t prod me about this interview with God, but I’ve used it over the years and its special message. For Mimi, the "Nurse Ratchet" at the Veteran’s Clinic in Vinita and a certified Grand Laker who was the first to request this interview be published again, there you go.

May we never lose sight of the real reason for the season and might I take this opportunity to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

When a “First Responder” Could use our Help & the Marines still have our back

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 18:29:00 +0000

When a “First Responder” Could use our Help!

Larry & Lana Sanders have been a part of the Disney community for nearly 20 years. If you drive through Disney often, as I do, you are well aware that Larry is responsible for law enforcement for this small lakeside town and so much more. You might find him in his patrol car or driving a tractor to smooth out road shoulders to accommodate the visiting four wheelers or hanging up Christmas decorations or doing anything else that needs attention.

The Sanders family have been confronted with some serious health issues over the past several weeks resulting in Lana having endured double digit surgeries to combat a form of flesh-eating bacteria. The town of Disney is coming to their aid with a benefit set of this Thursday at the Community Center. Things get underway at 11:00 am with Indian Tacos and BBQ being served. People within the community have been donating items for a silent auction, but with the couple having no insurance, cash would certainly be appreciated. Contribution can be mailed the Town of Disney to the attention of Lisa Cookson.

If there are other questions, Lisa Cookson can be reached at 918-344-3224.

Here’s to Veterans, Marines, Waterfront Bars, Cold Beer

& Investing in the Greatest Nation on Earth

A salute to our veterans is dead ahead and I’d like to thank each and every one of them for their service. In spite of the political rhetoric, we still have the greatest nation on earth, which was bought and paid for with commitment and sacrifice. The tributes and salutes that will be found in virtually every form of media this week will, indeed, be heart-warming and it’s reassuring to know the general public recognizes that the commitment and sacrifice which came before us.

This year the celebration of the Marine Corps birthday is set for Friday, November 10^th and is immediately followed on Saturday by Veteran’s day. As an old Marine, yes, once a Marine always a Marine, I always receive a lot of shout-outs from others, who either wore the uniform with pride, or had an appreciation for those who did.

Just makes sense that I would be attracted to a branch of the service organized and founded in a bar in Philly. When I hear the phrase, if only these walls could talk, I always think of the history shared by the Marine Corps and Tun Tavern.

Ask any Marine. Just ask. He will tell you that the Marine Corps was born in Tun Tavern on 10 November 1775. But, beyond that the Marine's recollection for detail will probably get fuzzy. So, here is the straight scoop:

In the year 1685, Samuel Carpenter built a huge "brew house" in Philadelphia. He located this tavern on the waterfront at the corner of Water Street and Tun Alley. The old English word tun means a cask, barrel, or keg of beer. So, with his new beer tavern on Tun Alley, Carpenter elected to christen the new waterfront brewery with a logical name, Tun Tavern.

Tun Tavern quickly gained a reputation for serving fine beer. Beginning 47 years later in 1732, the first meetings of the St. John's No. 1 Lodge of the Grand Lodge of the Masonic Temple were held in the tavern. An American of note, Benjamin Franklin, was its third Grand Master. Even today the Masonic Temple of Philadelphia recognizes Tun Tavern as the birthplace of Masonic teachings in America.

Roughly ten years later in the early 1740s, the new proprietor expanded Tun Tavern and gave the addition a new name, "Peggy Mullan's Red Hot Beef Steak Club at Tun Tavern." The new restaurant became a smashing commercial success and was patronized by notable Americans. In 1747 the St. Andrews Society, a charitable group dedicated to assisting poor immigrants from Scotland, was founded in the tavern.

Nine years later, then Col. Benjamin Franklin organized the Pennsylvania Militia. He used Tun Tavern as a gathering place to recruit a regiment of soldiers to go into battle against the Indian uprisings that were plaguing the American colonies. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the Continental Congress later met in Tun Tavern as the American colonies prepared for independence from the English Crown.

On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress commissioned Samuel Nicholas to raise two Battalions of Marines. That very day, Nicholas set up shop in Tun Tavern. He appointed Robert Mullan, then the proprietor of the tavern, to the job of chief Marine Recruiter -- serving, of course, from his place of business at Tun Tavern. Prospective recruits flocked to the tavern, lured by (1) cold beer and (2) the opportunity to serve in the new Corps of Marines. So, yes, the U.S. Marine Corps was indeed born in Tun Tavern. Needless to say, both the Marine Corps and the tavern thrived during this new relationship.

Tun Tavern still lives today. And, Tun Tavern beer is still readily available throughout the Philadelphia area. Further, through magazines it is advertised to Marines throughout the world.

So, as it turns out, it was always in the cards that I would wind up a jarhead….always a sucker for bars, waterfront living, spending time on beaches, cold beer, tradition and hangin’ out with some of the greatest people in the world. A salute to vets everywhere, even doggies and swabbies and all the rest, but a very special Semper Fi to the very best as Monday was the 248^th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 19:53:00 +0000

Fund-Raiser Golf Tournament to Benefit

the Ketchum Backpack Program

But as Usual there’s a lot more to the story!

Hey buddy, how 'bout a hundred for
the Backpack Program?

If you take time to read the release below about the details of the golf tournament, including its generous sponsors and volunteers, all the information needed to participate can be found. But unless a person has participated in this program by stuffing food items in a bag for weekend consumption or delivering the food goods to the Ketchum School System and seen those smiling faces, I contend we have no idea of the value this program provides. One man’s passion for the poverty-stricken kids in the South Grand Lake area birthed this program. It most likely wasn’t an original idea, but it never would have gotten off the ground without his efforts.

The late, great Darrell Hicks, along with his wife Sheryl, were right there in the very beginning of establishing this valuable program. As he hustled donations, sponsorships and volunteers, many times from among his adult-beverage drinkin’ buddies hangin’ out at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill, some might describe the “Bigger than Life Hicks as a real pain in the a#@.

Since Darrell’s death, Sheryl Hicks has spent hours keeping the program alive and it’s been a labor of love. Other organizations have stepped up and I’m sureDarrell would be pleased with all the growth in the program……check the details out below and bring it on brothers and sisters.

“FORE THE KIDS” Golf Tournament at The Coves Golf Club

On Monday, September 25, the South Grand Lake Foundation will host its First Annual “Fore the Kids” Golf Tournament at The Coves Golf Club. 100% of the proceeds from this tournament will benefit the Backpack Program, which provides weekend food for needy Ketchum students.

The organizers have had amazing number of commitments for sponsorships and are happy to announce as the Presenting Sponsor Asphalt and Fuel Supply of Sapulpa. Other major sponsors are as follows; Lunch Sponsor, Precision Manufacturing and Design and Trophy Sponsors, John and Debi Saied.

Hole Sponsors are Champion Precision Coatings, LLC, GLOC Aviation, LLC, AIRGROUP, Ann Hanford in memory of Tom Butler, Diana Patterson McGraw Realty Grand Lake, Dick Lanes, Bluewater Investments, Willow Park Marina, Debbie Smith in memory of Chris Smith, Alex Frost of Keller Williams, Shultz Creek Campground &RV Park, Froman Propane/Parts City, Mooney’s Sunset Bar and Grill, Safe Harbor Harbors View, Frank Ronsse and Lois Godkins-Ronsse.

Half Hole Sponsors include Erin Davis of Grand View Realty, Tiffany McKibben of McKibben Realty, Josh Reasor with The Boat Monkey and BancFirst; as well as many other donations and raffle prizes.

This will be a scramble, which includes golf, carts and lunch. Cost is $100 per player or $400 Team. Registration is at 8:00 am, with shotgun start at 9:00 a.m. Lunch and Awards to follow. We invite all golfers to come out for a good time and support your community.

For more information email sherylchicks@yahoo.com or call or text Karen at 719-205-8859. You may also visit the South Grand Lake Foundation Facebook page.

Labor Day Weekend Will Always Remain Special

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:57:00 +0000

Just like the alcoholic remembering that first drink, I can remember that first weekend as a Grand Lake property owner like it was yesterday. It was the Friday prior to the Labor Day weekend 1976. I had just walked out of Pidgeon Riley’s office, yeah, the now famous Diana Riley Patterson’s daddy, following the close on my Grand Lake dream. I pondered if I might have bitten off more than I could chew, paying $18,100 for a lake retreat, but having no idea what a major impact it would have on my life.

Calm waters post Labor Day

That was 47 years ago and the Grand Old Lady and yours truly have seen a lot of water pass through the turbines throughout the years. That, which seems like a small investment now, would become a permanent home in 1981 as I said goodbye to corporate life and the security of a damn good job with the Bell System. And here we are, ready to celebrate that 47^th anniversary on the pond.

Lot of memories, grand times, few regrets, not as much money as the metroplex may have served up, but a lifestyle that is enjoyed by few. The look of my perch above Grays Hollow has changed, like many of the people over the years, but it remains our home base.

Many have asked why we remain on one of the busiest and most popular coves on Grand Lake when we could have moved to a nicer and quieter location on our beloved pond. I give the same answer as when asked if I wouldn’t like to live in Florida or some other place offering up a more constant climate; it’s the seasons of Grand Lake I look forward to each and every year.

In the fall for example, I think it’s the very best with quiet days, fabulous color and a good majority of our weekend friends have headed back to the big city to do whatever it is they do. I even enjoy the beauty and wintertime adventures provided by deep snow, power outages and the challenge of just navigating up our driveway. Then spring rolls around and just as we anticipate the nesting wood ducks and the return of some 30 pairs of Purple Martins who call the Waldorf atop our dock home for the season, we look forward to seeing our thousands of friends return to Grays Hollow. Florida is no match for what old Lady Grand brings to the table.

It’s been a great 47 years and perhaps the most enjoyable part has been meeting the people along the way. Many have come and gone, due to personal choices or it just ended up with their time on this earth having expired, but they continue to cycle in and out. On Grays Hollow, I think the only original player remaining property owner is Tom Gilbert, a DDS who terrorized children for a living before the golden years. Some of the newbies, those with less than thirty years of Grand Lake enjoyment under their belts, would include the Cummins, Stavas, Tinkers, Veitchs, Sappingtons, Smejkals, the Jones/Allgood and many, many more, but it has always been cheap entertainment to watch the new kids on the cove as they customize their new piece of heaven and yell at people about no wake.

One of Grays Hollows newest addition, at least within eye-sight of our joint, are the Bowmans, Janet and Troy, hailing from Nowata…We’ve dubbed them the Nowata Nation because of the gang of folks they enjoy entertaining. Watching them, with my beverage of choice in hand, as they test drive and utilize most of the lake toys on the market today, reminds me of days gone by. Call it maturity or just graduating to senior Laker status.

But we have rookies, being defined as ten years or less on our cove as well. Jimmy Lewis, Joe & Shelley Duvall, Phil & Debbie Snodgrass, The Cobles and some I’m sure I’ve overlooked.

Watching people have fun, entertain their friends and making memories not found on a city cul-de-sac are what makes this place so special….Still enjoying the ride after 47 years! Be safe our there!

See Ya’ Around the Pond!

Then Along Comes Jones……… That’s Beverly Brown Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:03:00 +0000

Over the years, whether for the purposes of publication or just curiosity, I always enjoyed getting to know many of the movers and shakers around our Grand Lake. And I can’t think of anyone more involved in area land and real estate transactions over the last 50-plus years than the Lady Bulldog from Jay, Oklahoma, Beverly Brown Jones. I think we first crossed paths during a fund raiser for the Home of Hope described as a log race, where the winner is based, not on speed, but on calculating time from point A to B. Mind you, no speedometers allowed, but I digress.

When I approached Beverly about the possibility of joining up for our Legends of the Lake series, she was reluctant at first, but how could she turn down the only other democrat in Delaware County? When we settled into the Grand River Abstract & Title Company’s conference room, the surprises started to unfold. With a family history of over a hundred years in the Jay area, Beverly is proud to be called a local, but there’s more to that story than meets the eye.

She was born on a small farm northeast of Jay near a community known as Whitewater. Following graduation from high school in 1964, Beverly had designs on seeking her fame and fortune in the metroplex of Kansas City, but that’s where she met a bright young man who altered her plans in a significant manner. Stan Jones and Beverly were soon married with the new bride soon entertaining a home with a picket fence, a few kids and a happy life in Kansas City. But sometimes the best laid plans go south…. south as in right back to Delaware County and Jay, Oklahoma.

Through Beverly’s Mom the couple learned that Margaret & Floyd Hanes wanted to sell the Grand River Abstract and Title Company…. yep, right there in Jay, Oklahoma. The young Stan Jones was quick to recognize an opportunity and went about convincing his young bride of that.

Beverly recalls, “That was 1968 and he said, ‘Just give it six months and if you don’t like it, we can move back to the city.’ Well three grown daughters and some 55 years later, here we are in Jay, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Stan Jones simply fell in love with small town America.”

Beverly and Stan owned and managed their company until Stan was lost to Pancreatic Cancer in 2008, but in the forty years they managed their business together they developed standards which are still evident today; community involvement, faith and a belief in honesty, integrity and treating people fairly and with respect. Through those standards their company flourished and expanded to include offices in Jay, Langley and Gove and recently added Ottawa Abstract & Title to the fold.

Since Stan’s death, the Jones’ oldest daughter, Laura, has joined the company as a partner, but Beverly can be found at the office virtually every day. She has served on more local boards than can be counted, including banks, hospital Foundations, educational foundations, food banks and numerous charities. She’s active in all the area chambers including Grove, Jay and South Grand Lake and I’ve probably missed a few. The awards have been many like Jay High Schools Outstanding Alumni Award, Jay’s Business of the Year Award and the Oklahoma Land Title Association’s “Person of the Year.” which recognizes the nominee who best exemplifies the highest standards of dedication among Oklahoma Title professionals. But what do the real estate professional around Grand Lake have to say about Grand River Abstract and Title Company? We asked a few to find out:

Chuck Perry, REMAX Grand Lake: “When Victoria and I were getting started the incredible support we received from both Beverly and Stan was simply unmatched and the friendship we developed meant even more. I just can’t say enough about two greater influences on our careers.”

Diana Riley-Patterson, McGraw Grand Lake: “I just absolutely love that woman. We’ve done business for years and am grateful for the bond we have forged. A beautiful person inside and out.”

Sheryl Fleming, Butler Real Estate: “Nobody knows Grand Lake real estate like Beverly Jones, and she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Always helpful in every possible way.”

Nothing like a testimony from a satisfied customer or client. And many of the area organizations that have enjoyed Grand River Abstract & Title’s support, like the $1500 title sponsorship of the South Grand Lake Chamber’s upcoming golf tournament, couldn’t agree more.

Beverly has slowed down a bit in recent years and is even rumored to take one day a week off. She’s known to enjoy dining with friends, boating, reading and keeping up with politics at the state and national level. She spent many years as an avid golfer, but her true passion is serving people in her community. One of a kind, Bev Jones!

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

This is an All-Points Bulletin... Strangely Enough for a Book!!

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:10:00 +0000

In our years publishing The Chronicle of Grand Lake, we encountered a lot of people who provided tips about interesting stories and historical information about our lake. Bruce Howell, with his Echoes from the Past publication, Barbara Haver, who we recognized long ago as the Matriarch of the lake, Jim Weeks with his widely read book about the history of the lake and strangely enough the King of Facebook-Grand Lake, Jerry Cookson. And that my friends brings us to the subject of today's blog.

Over the years, Jerry gave us many suggestions for content in our publications and admittedly many were to promote activities and boats for sale at Cedar Port Marina, but he also had a knack of finding historical pictures when Cedar Port was one of the first marinas on the lake and known as Port Tyler. The book pictured on the left was one such prize and contained photos and verbiage we had never seen before. I think the book was more dear to Jerry's heart because his Mom had run across it at a garage sale and immediately passed it on to her Grand lake son, who shared it with us. Now here's the rub.

When we elected to R-E-A-L-L-Y retire following our Labor Day on-line edition of 2020, soon after this 6'6', 260 pound sucker visits my office and says, "Hey man, where's my Mom's book?" I explained to Jerry I was fairly certain we had returned it long ago. Well Jerry was just as certain we hadn't.

And there's plenty of wildlife in Dripping Springs

When we dismantled the newspaper office in '20, we went through a massive amount of files and other treasures, but no book. The search has since expanded to our residence on Grays Hollow, with no luck. I'm absolutely certain a book like that wasn't discarded or trashed because of our appreciation of lake history, but Jerry is still convinced the ball is in our court.

The only plausible answer I can come up with is a long shot, but folks, we're down to longshots at this point. Did I possibly loan the book out to somebody and it was never returned? In short, if you have seen this book or have it in your possession, I would really appreciate some help in getting it back to its rightful owner. I can be reached at 918-782-7710 or e-mailed at rustyfleming44@gmail.com.

See Ya' Around the Pond!!

247 Years of Freedom and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 17:34:00 +0000

Still the Greatest Nation on Earth

As we Americans prepare to celebrate another anniversary of our “Declaration of Independence” in 1776, the contents are most likely the furthest thing from our minds. The family outings, fireworks displays and other recreational activities we will take part in have become, at least to most Americans, what this holiday has come to represent. And perhaps that in itself is the greatest testimony about this awesome country.

It’s now been well over seventy years since the end of World War II, and perhaps the last time American men and women perceived the sacrifices they had just endured really made a difference in the preservation of our way of life. Few remain alive today who can recall the moving of our country’s Declaration of Independence from its shrine, for safe keeping following the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.

It was placed between two acid-free sheets of Manila paper. The documents were then carefully wrapped in a container of all-rag neutral millboard and placed in a specially designed bronze container. It was transported, under heavy guard, to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for safekeeping throughout the war. Until 9/11, I just wonder how many of my generation, or later, had ever considered that any of our national treasures could be threatened, much less that our way of life could be altered or changed in a permanent way.

Be Safe Out there & Have Fun

If, on this Fourth of July, I lived in northern California, I would insist my family board a boat to view the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge. I would hope the bridge had remained as it was in 1967, when I passed beneath it aboard the U.S.S. Gordon, a troop carrier, in-route to Vietnam. I still recall my surprise at the gun installations which remained from World War II, when for a time following the attack on Pearl Harbor an invasion of our shores was not out of the question.

This American boy had never even dreamed that our fathers and grandfathers must have had thoughts of defending our nation right here in the U.S. of A. If I could, I would make sure all of our families understood the price which has been paid for our very way of life. There’s just more to this holiday than a cold beer and a dip in the lake.

The “Fab-Five” of our ancestors was called the “Committee of Five.” Some pretty heavy hitters….John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert Livingston of New York and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. Their charge was to write the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wrote it for the most part, Franklin tinkered with it, and John Hancock, the President of the Congress, was the first to sign it. The rest, as they say, is history.

In this day in time, when we are constantly bombarded with criticism of our country from the left and the right, perhaps a look at our roots might be in order. If that famous Committee of Five was to check in with us today, I would suggest to you they would be amused. I doubt our struggles with the economy, the deficit, terrorism and wars in other distant locations would hold a candle to forming a new nation. A task which included taking on the most powerful nation in the world. They succeeded in spite of insurmountable odds that few gave them a chance of overcoming.

The 'Ol Pub

On this Fourth of July, as the jets come screaming over Duck Creek and we celebrate the anniversary of what has become the greatest country in the world; let’s not forget to ponder how it all came to be and the price which was paid. The Fab-Five dealt with consequences worse than losing an election and the cushy way of life of today’s politicos.

As the fireworks fill the sky over Grand Lake with a spectacular sight, on this special holiday weekend, let’s all give thanks for this great nation, founded by great people, who entrusted its care to future generations……just like us! Have a safe and happy holiday.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

Grand Lake Historical Book making a come-back

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 20:21:00 +0000

Grand Lake..The Crown Jewel of Oklahoma set for second printing

The South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce a second printing of the

“Coffee Table” book recounting the history behind the construction of the Pensacola Dam and the dramatic impact it has had on all of northeastern Oklahoma. It traces the roots of an idea to provide electricity to The Cherokee Nation to what has now become home to the one of the most exciting recreational based economies in our nation. Plans call for 1500 copies of the book, Grand Lake, the Crown Jewel of Oklahoma, to be arriving sometime around the Labor Day weekend and will be retailing at the same price, $50.00 per copy, as when the book was initially introduced at the 2015 Tulsa Boat, Sport & Travel Show.

The book project, bringing Grand Lake’s colorful history clearly into focus, is a joint effort between the South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the book’s author, Jim Weeks, and couldn’t have been accomplished without the full cooperation of the Grand River Dam Authority. The hardback presentation has a leather 10”X 15”cover with an emblazoned outline of Grand Lake with the books title proclaiming “Grand Lake…The Crown Jewel of Oklahoma.” The book also has a full color dust cover with a breathtaking aerial photograph from behind the Pensacola Dam looking to the North.

The fruits of Jim Weeks passion for the story of Grand Lake and those who played a role in bringing a farfetched idea to reality, is told in 96 pages filled with both photos and written accounts of Grand Lake’s history. After retiring from The Norman Transcript Newspaper, where he served as the publication’s sports editor for many years and authored three books related to University of Oklahoma football, he and his wife Micki retired to Grove, Oklahoma. But the journalist in him soon led to an idea of researching the colorful history of Grand Lake and publishing a book on the subject.

Soon, Weeks was engrossed in interviewing Grand Lakers new and old, spending countless hours at the Grand River Dam Authority’s headquarters in Vinita researching their archives and reviewing old newspaper accounts about anything related to the history surrounding Grand Lake. His efforts led him down a chronological path to that day in August of 1940 when the last gate was closed, but unfortunately Weeks passed away in 2009 before the fruits of his labor could be published.

Through the efforts of Coves resident Dr. Bruce Howell, the retired superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools and primary author of the “Echoes from the Past” series of articles related to the history of the four county area surrounding Grand Lake, the idea of a collaboration between the Weeks family and the South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce to publish the book was initiated. An agreement was soon reached and the project was underway.

As I recall, the idea for a book separating fact from fiction regarding the unique story of Grand Lake was way overdue and the older the lake gets the more difficult it has become to determine which was which. Yours truly and others who have read the Week’s transcript have marveled at the amount of details and wide swath of research included in the book. As I said at the time of the first publishing of the book, It’s difficult to even begin to estimate the number of hours Jim invested in this detailed account of our lake’s history. The chamber is again extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to partner with the Weeks family Trust and the Grand River Dam Authority in this long overdue account of this unique project being published.

Plans call for once again printing 1500 copies of the book and some 400-plus copies are already spoken for. I would anticipate the remaining 1100 will go fast once some of books once again start to circulate. If you, a friend, or a family member have an interest in Grand Lake, I can’t think of a more unique gift for that hard-to-shop-for Grand Laker.

To claim a copy of what will surely become a collector’s item once again, recounting a truly remarkable feat, just reach out to The south Grand Lake Chamber via e-mail at sgrandlakechamber@gmail.com or visit the chamber’s office in the GRDA Eco-Systems Building in Langley or place your order by telephone at 918-782-3214.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!

Some 2023 Memorial Holiday Thoughts from Grays Hollow

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Fri, 26 May 2023 12:42:00 +0000

Not all encounters created terrible memories

Some 2023 Memorial Holiday Thoughts from Grays Hollow

For once, the approaching holiday here on Grand Lake will not be featuring high water that will require special attention in the name of safety. So we can ponder other pressing thoughts like to blog or not to blog. Thanks to encouragement from our friends at American Bank of Oklahoma in Disney, most specifically Stacy Landon, we’re prepared to increase our time investment in Grand Times on Grand Lake with yours truly. Thanks to the American Bank Sponsorship many of you will receive our blog via e-mail, if this isn’t of your liking the unsubscribe button is always an option….The Memorial Holiday is dead ahead and here we come ready or not

This particular holiday has a special reason for being on the calendar, as it was originally established to honor those who perished, on both sides, during the civil war. Memorial Day always stirs memories of my own military service, friends lost along the way and lessons learned.

If I have ever grown up, which is doubted by many, credit needs to be extended to three major influences in my life. My parents were a major influence with respect to those things we learn during our youth which many call the formative years. They implanted values that have proven their worth throughout my life. The Bell System provided me with my first real experience in the corporate world, but the entity which probably influenced my life the most is the United States Marine Corps.

As a typical near “Baby-boomer,” who never wanted for much of anything throughout the first twenty-two years of life, I didn’t perceive my enlistment in the Marine Corps as much more of an obstacle than anything else I had encountered in my short life. I was in for a rather abrupt introduction to life in the corps.

My drill instructor really didn’t care who my daddy was, whether our family was poverty stricken, embedded in the upper middle class or wealthy. All he was interested in doing was breaking me and my fellow recruits down to zero resistance and then molding us into Marines. Until he completed the task at hand, we were known as slime balls, pukes and several unprintable names, but never a United States Marine until we graduated from boot camp. We had been transformed from a value of nothing in the all knowing eyes of our drill instructor to a valued asset of our country. And the common thread which now bound us together was simply this; the goal of the group always exceeded that of the individual.

I have always felt the lessons I learned as a leatherneck have served me well throughout my life. The emphasis on commitment, loyalty to others, discipline and sacrifice are not taught in any college classroom I’m aware of. I know of no better way to come to realize what a great nation this is than to spend some time in a faraway place where the things we take for granted are unheard of. My time in Corps was well spent with a return on investment which is difficult to calculate by today’s standards or lack thereof. But one thing that is easily embraced is the importance of those who came before us and paid the ultimate sacrifice for the way of life we enjoy today.

Regardless of the branch of service, we owe a great deal of gratitude to all of our veterans who answered the call. On this holiday, I would suggest at least a moment of silence to pay homage to those who gave their lives to preserve the greatest nation on the planet. The number of Americans, who saw action on D-Day to initiate the liberation of Europe or stormed the beaches at Iwo Jima, Guadal Canal, Saipan and many other distant places is dwindling. Many of today’s now generation perceive the scenes portrayed in the “Saving of Private Ryan” as merely a Hollywood production to sell movie goers tickets for a profit. The real stars of those portrayed scenes are receiving orders for a different campaign in a different locale at a rapid rate. We can’t acknowledge their contributions soon enough.

We can now add places like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan to the many places that have placed our troops in harm’s way. The lives surrendered there are of no less importance than those given in any other war. It warms my heart to see the outpouring of support for our service personnel in the way of internet posts and other ways of showing support for a thankless job once again well done.

For those currently embracing the mumblings of some politicians and talking heads about isolationism, perhaps a chat with a Pearl Harbor vet, while there still are some, might be in order. Or perhaps a cruise beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, to view the gun positions installed to protect San Francisco from a possible Pacific invasion, just might open some eyes. On this holiday, originally intended to honor the loss of life on both sides during the Civil War and later expanded to include much, much more, let’s take time for a well-deserved salute, American style.

For me, my Marine Corps roots are special and I can still remember the incessant laughing of my uncle Kermit, a USMC veteran of the invasions at Iwo Jima and Guadal Canal, when I proudly told him I had enlisted in the Corps. Perhaps I was just destined to serve in an organization which was born in a tavern a year prior to the Declaration of our country’s Independence. Just goes to show you that not all ideas conceived in a bar are bad. Perhaps I’ll visit Tun Tavern in Philadelphia someday……If only those walls could talk. And I’ll raise my glass of Scotch, of course, and proclaim to all those present or who have frequented the tavern in the past. “Here’s to checks for wars, written by politicians and cashed by the men and women wearing the uniform of the United States of America.”

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

Gene Gregg: A One-of-a-Kind Grand Lake Pioneer

noreply@blogger.com (Grand Times on Grand Lake) — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 16:08:00 +0000

Our friend Gene Gregg, who ran Airport Resort, or in recent years known as Tera Miranda, for some fifty years, passed away last weekend at the tender age of 96. Don’t know of many people on this lake more respected far and wide than Gene. A gathering will be hosted by Gene’s son Shane at Doc’s at Shangri-La on Saturday, March 4th, getting underway at 1:00 PM to swap stories about the late, great Gene Gregg. Just maybe the history of those Cat Hats will finally be revealed.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Gene authoring an article for Grand Times on Grand Lake about the history of the resort and that of Golda and Gene Gregg. I’ve elected to include it on our blog in honor of a truly unusual man as follows:

From the time the last log fell into place and Grand Lake began to fill with water, there have been some influential Lakers who contributed, and not in a small way, to what Grand Lake has become today. And many of them came from the most unexpected places. The first two owners of Airport Resort, renamed Tera Miranda in later years, were tied to aviation. The Andrews and Swinney families both had connections to aviation, which resulted in a grass airstrip which spawned one of Grand Lake’s first resorts.

The Andrews were the first owners and were instrumental in bringing power, telephone service and other much needed improvements to the Island. The resort was first popular with flying enthusiasts, which generated the demand for a café as fly-in breakfasts were becoming popular. As many as 25 planes were observed at one time.

The Swinney's were the next owners and took the resort to a different level as they constructed a new restaurant, swimming pool, new cruiser docks and access roads. They brought the resort a long way.

In 1961, three couples, John & Linda Stewart, Richard & Sherrill Mercer and Gene & Golda Gregg purchased the resort. The Greggs became the face of the resort for over 50 years. Gene and Golda were both educators from Kansas. Their only exposure to Grand Lake had been summer vacations on an annual basis for about ten days. The trail which led from educator to marina and resort owner was an interesting one.

According to Gene, public education was in the process of implementing something called Progressive Education and his superintendent dispatched him to a related meeting. When he returned and expressed his opposition to the plan, his superintendent suggested he find something else to do. He joined Beach Aircraft as a recruiter until the purchase of the resort was finalized in 1961

In the early years, the operation had a small number of boat docks, a 40 X 40 repair shop, a small café and 12 cottages. Improvements were made immediately with most of the cottages being replaced with cedar cabins and the boat docks being replaced with slips up to 54 feet in length. The restaurant was redesigned and expanded utilizing cedar and stone. The shop operation was expanded to accommodate large cruisers for woodwork requirements and anything mechanical including OMC, Volvo, and MerCruiser stern drive work. It had become a good size marina operation.

And even though Gene was and is an extremely skilled craftsman with an “I can fix anything” mentality, the legacy he leaves in his wake is far more important and teaches a lesson all could learn from. In today’s "win at all cost" society, as demonstrated by the negative political ads we have recently been bombarded with related to the recent elections, Gene would have no part of it. His competitors were not adversaries, but more like co-workers with the objective of getting a customer’s boat ready by the weekend. And Gene had the reputation of stocking about every part or parcel of mahogany that might be needed for a woody.

Former TowBoatUS owner, Wade Silzer has known Gene Gregg for as long as he can remember, and Wade says, “I dealt with Gene on many occasions looking for hard to find parts and even repaired his auto-start home generator at one time. Even though it was a tough one to diagnose, I refused to charge him for the repair because he had done me so many favors over the years. When I started to leave, we shook hands and he had two $100 bills waded up in his hand and refused to take them back. Just a class act.”

He added, “Since my Dad hauled boats we did a lot of business with Gene because he had the foresight to bring the first travel lift to Grand Lake and we, and everyone else around here, used it for assembling and breaking down boats for transportation.”

When Arrowhead Yacht Club’s Joe Harwood was asked about Gene Gregg, he immediately asks, “Is he still wearing that Cat Diesel hat and spitting chewing tobacco into that cup he always carried around with him? It really didn’t matter whether he was at the controls of his travel lift or selling fifty-plus foot Trojan Cruisers at the Tulsa Boat Show, Gene was always Gene and a more genuine human being, willing to help anyone, I have ever met. Truly a kind-hearted soul.”

Tom Berry, who was hired to handle the accounting function when Golda Gregg elected to retire in 1982, but ended up being a jack of all trades, was as close to Gene as anyone over the years. When Tom was asked to describe his years in the Gregg employment he was an emotional challenge, but the respect can’t be hidden. Tom says, “As fair as any man a person could ever hope to meet or work for and he would never ask an employee, or anyone else for that matter, to do anything he wouldn’t do himself.”

A good example of that work ethic is described by Grand Lake Towing’s Paula Silzer when she recalls her first meeting with this Legend of the Lake like this. “Wade and I were standing around killing time at the Tulsa Boat Show when I saw this older gentleman scooting around on the floor with a paint scraper removing the tape on the floor used to define booth space. I asked Wade who that was and he informed me that was Tera Miranda’s owner Gene Gregg. I went over and introduced myself, sat down on the floor, and spent the afternoon removing tape from the floor, laughing and cutting up with Gene. I don’t think he ever remembered my name, so he always just called me darlin.”

Gene has had a huge impact on this lake and he hung with some of the most influential movers & shakers from days gone by like Virgil Duncan, who developed Port Duncan, Charles Davis at Shangri-La and Carlos Langston, who built Port Carlos from scratch. Everyone who attempts to chisel out a living on this lake in a few short months annually, owes Gene and some of his pals a huge debt of gratitude.

Humility is definitely one of Greggs attributes and when asked to sum up his 50 plus years at the helm of Tera Miranda, he picks up that tobacco cup, ponders for a moment and says, “You know, we had some pretty good years and then we had some lean ones.”

Perhaps he is best described by the old cliché, “No brag, just fact!” Rest in peace old friend.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!

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Some 2023 Memorial Holiday Thoughts from Grays Hollow

Gene Gregg: A One-of-a-Kind Grand Lake Pioneer

35th Anniversary Christmas Boat Parade Set
for Saturday night, December 14th