Main Street organizations recognized at Capitol

By Everett Brazil, III

The Newkirk Herald Journal

OKLAHOMA CITY — A large crowd gathered in the halls of State Capitol in Oklahoma City April 5, a group of Oklahoma Main Street (OMS) supporters from across the state meeting with their legislators and  fellow programs as the state recognized the day as “Oklahoma Main Street Day.”

Newkirk Main Street (NMS) Director Alyssa McCleery and Board President Holly Cline joined other volunteers from across the state, including Ponca City, Greenwood District (Tulsa), Woodward, Guymon, Cherokee, Okemah, Cleveland, Vinita, Guthrie and Locust Grove, to name only a few.

“It was fun to see all the other communities and hear what events everyone was excited about,” Cline said.

Most of the activity was found in the rotunda between the chambers, where rows of tables were set up, displaying information from their respective communities.

“Everybody brought something from their community, and they also brought displays,” Cline said. “It was neat to see the local groups.”

NMS had their own display table, showing a board covered in pictures of activities like Charlie Adams Day, and offering promotional materials, like informational flyers, such as census information for NMS and Newkirk, the 2021 Annual Report and a calendar of events.

They even brought a small taste of home for the attendees to enjoy: tea from Opal Nutrition, deli pinwheels from Capone’s Hoagies and donut holes from Main Street Bakery.

The Main Street volunteers were also able to meet with legislators and state leaders, including Sen. Bill Coleman and Rep. Ken Luttrell. Representative John Pfeiffer’s district covers Newkirk, but Luttrell includes Ponca City.

Also speaking at the event were Buffy Hughes, State Main Street Director,

Brent Kisling, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell. Comments included Lt. Gov. Pinnell thanking local Main Street organizations for their efforts to make Oklahoma a Top 10 state.

The event served as a great way for local volunteers to meet with fellow organizations.

“We had legislators from all over the state stop by,” McCleery said. “They spoke to promote Main Street. We respect them, and they respect Main Street as far as what we are doing to promote Main Street.”

The fellow organizations also visited one-another’s booths to share ideas they could take back home to their own communities.

“It was a good day to see everybody excited for their programs, talking to other people who have a lot of the same goals for their communities, their public input and growth,” Cline said.

The event finished at 2 that afternoon, and Cline and McCleery headed back to Newkirk with new friends and new ideas to make NMS better.

“I have never been there before but now I’m definitely going back because I have ideas to promote, and people to see,” Cline said.