As the Band Plays by Judy Haught

This lull between the primary election and the general election in November seems a little like halftime at a football game. As the marching band takes the field, the opposing teams head for the locker room to plan strategy for the second half. I have never been privy to a football team's halftime conversation, but I would imagine that the first half must be rehashed and analyzed. So as the band plays, Doug and I go over the highlights of the past few months. We met hundreds and maybe thousands of voters and took away priceless memories. A few of the most outstanding experiences are as follows:

• The lady who gave us fresh vegetables from her garden
• All the people who offered us bottles of cold water on hot campaign days
• The delightful twin ladies who made the drive to Rocky worthwhile
• Good conversation
• Fire Department barbecue and catfish
• Potluck dinners
• Fireworks
• Parades and festivals
• Knocking on doors in the rain
• "In the Mood" played on the piano just for us

We are looking forward to the next few months and the chance to let Western Oklahomans get to know the best qualified candidate for District Judge. We'll be coming to your town soon and possibly even knocking on your door. Look for the red Chevy truck with the "Doug Haught for District Judge" signs on the side.

Ellis County Odyssey by Judy Haught

Holidays present a unique problem for candidates. Not unlike the young married couple who has to eat four Thanksgiving dinners to please all the parents and grandparents, a candidate can find himself needing to be in more than one place at once. The 4th of July presented such a problem for Judge Haught. Independence Day celebrations were advertised in all five counties of the 2nd Judicial District, and several invitations had been extended to us. However, after much consideration, we decided to spend the weekend in Ellis County.
We arrived in Shattuck the evening of July 2 and checked into the Holiday Motel. We then had dinner at Ed's, the place to be on Friday night in Shattuck, and both the food and the atmosphere were great. With full stomachs, we left to "recon" the town, or in other words, we drove around town and formulated a game plan on how to meet and talk with the largest number of people possible.
On Saturday morning, we checked out of our motel, ate a whopping breakfast at the Frozen Frog in downtown Shattuck, and began meeting and greeting. We started on the west side of Shattuck and knocked on doors, talked with voters, and worked all the way to the east end of town. In spite of the rain that varied from a sprinkle to a downpour all day, we had an interesting, productive day. The people of Shattuck were cordial and interested, and they treated us like honored guests. The town itself has a warm, hometown feel to it. It would be a good place to grow up and a good place to raise a family.
After putting up campaign signs in Shattuck, we left for Arnett. We found the Circle C Motel and tried to rent a room, but the office was closed. The people in the cafe next door gave us the proprietor's phone number, and we called him.. He told us we could stay in room 16 and to just go on in because it was unlocked. Doug and I looked at each other in amazement. We didn't realize there was any place left on earth where people could go off and leave doors unlocked! Sure enough, room 16 was unlocked, and we moved in for the night. We didn't even have a key! Arnett is definitely a throwback to a safer, more innocent era.
We attended Arnett's fireworks display on Saturday, July 3, and it was spectacular! In fact, it rivaled the fireworks shows of many large towns. So far everything about the town had been a delightful surprise.
The next morning, we attended church at the United Methodist Church where we received a warm welcome. Reverend Dollarhite delivered a moving Independence Day sermon on laying down one's life for a friend.
After church, it was off to the Circle G Cafe. In novels and old black and white TV shows, there is always a local diner where the food is great and where everyone gathers. Well, the Circle G is that place; it could have come from the pages of a John Grisham novel. The place was packed with the Sunday church crowd, so we shared a table with a lovely woman named Mrs. Clem. We didn't know one another, but after sharing a meal and discussing mutual acquaintances, we felt like old friends.
That afternoon we worked from the east end of Arnett to the west end knocking on doors and talking with the citizens. We met many wonderful people and several Purcy Walker fans. In fact, one man told us that he and Purcy often sang karaoke songs in his garage. Doug hastily told the man that he could not sing like Purcy just in case the man had any such ideas!
After meeting and greeting, we traveled back to Shattuck for more barbecue with the Shattuck Fire Department, the perfect finale to a perfect weekend.
Our weekend in Ellis County gave us a look at two of Western Oklahoma's hometowns. Remember, a vote for Judge Haught is a vote for a Western Oklahoma hometown guy.