Lifestyle

Calumet November Students of the Month, Melanny Muniz, Ethan Jameson, Justin Shore and Mattie Pritchett. (Courtesy photo)

Leadership Oklahoma, a statewide leadership program, is now accepting applications for its 2021 Youth Leadership Oklahoma (YLOK) class. Applications are accepted online and can be accessed through the Leadership Oklahoma website or by using this link: https://smr.to/p68968. The deadline to submit applications is Jan 15. Applications must be submitted online by that date.

Gardeners who have been slacking on their landscaping chores lately have a loophole. No time to rake the leaves or clear out the flower beds? No problem.

The landscape can go to the birds – literally – in the fall. David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Extension consumer horticulturist, said wild birds are grateful for the lack of upkeep.

“This is the time of year when tidy gardeners are raking leaves, removing dead plants from flower beds and doing a general cleanup,” Hillock said.

The Family Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association recently recognized lifelong El Reno resident Tammy Perando as Courthouse Staff Member of the Year.

Perando has served as a bailiff in Canadian County for 25 years, working with Judge Ken Dickerson, Judge Bob Davis and currently Judge Barbara Hatfield.

Perando was also recognized locally by Canadian County District Court Judges Jack McCurdy and Paul Hesse for her 25 years of service and dedication to the citizens of Canadian County.

I heard a story about an Oklahoma City resident who had three months of living expenses in savings. But the COVID-19 wave hit, and just like that, the money was wiped out due to their full-time job loss.

This person had finances, a plan, and in an instant, it was gone. The situation itself isn’t unfamiliar for people and families in 2020. Many are suffering from full-time or part-time job loss or reduced hours without income readily available to pay for necessities.

The Okarche High School speech team recently competed in two virtual speech tournaments, winning the Class 3A sweepstakes award in both. 

Five OHS students competed in the Muskogee Little Nationals, one of the oldest tournaments in the nation, while nine students competed in the Marlow tournament to claim the top school award in Class 3A.

Individual results from Muskogee are as follows: Madison Schaefer, first in both prose and standard oratory, Kaylea Steelman, second in poetry, Brody Sadler, second in standard oratory, and Afton Shirey, second in prose.

Note: The El Reno Tribune asked area schoolchildren their recipes for cooking the holiday bird.

Following are How to Cook a Turkey recipes from Tanya Ramsey’s pre-3 class at Sacred Heart Catholic School:

You put meat on the turkey and you cook it on top of the stove. You cook it for 4 minutes. You take it out of the pan carefully and put it on a plate, then you eat it. - Amelia

Put pepperoni on it and put it in the oven. You cook it for 5 minutes. You take it out and I eat it with my old friend Abby. - Scout

How to Get Started

▶ Planning a really good menu is the stealth approach to being a really good cook. What leaves an impression is not only the dishes you can make, but also how they taste, look and feel.

▶ Avoid repeating ingredients. If you are serving pecan pie for dessert, don’t put out spiced pecans as an hors d’oeuvre. Both may be fabulously delicious, but the pie just won’t be as appealing by the time dessert rolls around.

Following are How to Cook a Turkey recipes from Jessica Zucksworth’s second-grade class at Rose Witcher:

Find a turkey I well cook in the oven for 500 ment. - Kevin Hernandez

Get a turkey at the grocry store. Then cook the turkey for 2 hour at 142. Then make sure it’s good. Then your rede for the feast. - Nathan Trejo

Find a turkey get the gross parts out stuffing in. Cook it in the oven for 99 put bacun bits in it. - Ka'myra Williams

El Reno High School October Students of the Month, from left, freshmen Nyla Stewart and Grady Lesperance; sophomores Bailey Denwalt and Aiden Gore; juniors Ariana Segovia Ortega and Donovan Ramirez; and seniors, (not pictured), Madison Craig and Darius Moore.