Vian Tenkiller News

Oct
17
that Cherokee citizen
school adopt or amend on page 3
2018 students be allowed to

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Preparing For Holidays; Free Dental Clinic
Amie Remer
Editor
The Vian Peace Cen-
ter is making progress
on their building and al-
ready looking toward the
holiday season to contin-
ue helping members of
the community who are
in need.
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Richard and Jack-
ie Tyler of the center
said they are excited
about the progress on
the building and their
newly painted commu-
nity room, along with
the children’s library, an
industrial-sized kitchen,
bathrooms and upcom-
ing scheduled events.
Richard said last
week, the center was
presented a $1,000 VIE
Grant check by Michelle
Traw.
“We’re going to use
the money to spon-
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backpack program and
See CENTER
on page 3

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 Vian Tenkiller News
CENTER
purchase GED training
literature software,” he
said. “And thanks to the
Oct money presented to us
17 by the Cherokee Nation,
we were able to purchase
tables, chairs and shelv-
2018 ing from a school district
in Arkansas.”
Jackie, a literacy buff,
Page said the biggest room in
the center is known as
0003 the community room and
Clip they are hoping more
resized people will utilize it.
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From a blue ocean color, which
added a pop of color
0001 to the room and Roger
Brooks donated his time
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“It’s open for teach-
ing classes or just about
anything you can think
of,” she said. “I teach
some classes here and it
also holds our tables and
chairs, bookshelves and
books, and six comput-
ers. We will also be in-
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kids may just want to
use the computers for
homework assignments.
We just want people to
know it is here and avail-
able.”
Richard said their ul-
timate goal is providing a
safe environment for the
community’s children
where they can play,
hang out and learn.
Epic Charter
School Classes
“We have a group that
is already doing testing
here because the only
other place they had
open in town to use was
Subway,” Richard said.
Susan Holder, a re-
tired educator who
worked in both Oklaho-
ma and Arkansas said
she’s stepped out and
decided to try something
different. She is current-
ly seeing 13 students
a week in the center’s
community room. Holder
works with Epic Charter
Schools, a fully accred-
ited virtual online pub-
lic school for students
in grades Pre-K through
12th.
The school is provided
in partnership with the
Oklahoma State Board
of Virtual Education for
parents/students seek-
ing a non-traditional
educational setting uti-
lizing internet-based,
individualized self-paced
instruction provided in
nearly any location, ac-
cording to their website.
Proprietàdi OPS News Tracker e membri di Oklahoma Press Association.
continued from front
“I was really pleas-
antly surprised when I
walked into the facility,”
Holder said. “I’d seen
the back where they dis-
tributed food but never
the rooms inside. I just
thought it was awesome,
and then I thought this
would be a great place
for me to meet my stu-
dents. It’s quiet, clean
and has a good environ-
ment with C/H/A; they
even trust me to lock up
when I leave.”
Holder said she meets
with the students on
Mondays or Tuesdays
for ‘Interventions,’ where
they work on grade level
standards and she moni-
tors their work.
“The students also
do journal writings and
check out books from
me,” she said. “Their
parents can come and
sit with them or they can
drop them off. Epic pro-
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puter for them to use.”
Holder said she also
likes the fact that kids
can come in and check
out a book from the li-
brary.
“It’s going to take a lot
of work but once they get
a system in place and get
others to help, it’s going
to be a great thing for our
community. I would love
to have a corner look like
a school classroom,” she
said. “Our community
needs to get behind this
undertaking, giving them
the opportunity to have
technology and a pro-
gram. It would be nice
if someone could donate
them a globe or a big U.S.
Map, those would be re-
ally helpful tools when
teaching. Also, packages
of play money and school
needed items to practice
skills.”
“Using the center is
great because it’s a good
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class in,” she said. “We’re
never going to turn any
kids away and are still
taking more students.”
Holder said students
can sign up or learn more
by visiting their website,
epiccharterschools.org.
Other Rooms,
Backpack Program
Richard said renova-
tions are almost complet-
ed on the two bathrooms
- each has a two-person
shower, two commodes
and two sinks, and are
handicapped accessible.
The kitchen now has
an industrial-sized stove
and oven, and a huge hot
water tank that are all
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“These help us cut the
cost of utilities,” he said.
“Our electric is about
$400 or more a month
and we’re working on
getting a large sink in-
stalled as well.”
Jackie said they have
already let others use the
kitchen space for funer-
als and fundraisers.
Richard said his par-
ents, Emmett and Dixie
Tyler have done a won-
derful job with the cen-
ter’s Backpack Program
and deliver the back-
packs to the school.
“We have 40 kids in our
Backpack Program this
year and it costs $125 a
year per kid to sponsor,”
he said. “If anyone is in-
terested in contributing
to the program, they are
encouraged to do so. We
don’t want any kid to go
home hungry.”
“The kids are what
make all of this worth it,”
he said. “One child came
up to me the other day
and told me thanks for
giving us a safe place be-
cause they felt safe here,
and we want them to. It
literally had me in tears.”
Last year, the center
distributed 1.3 million
pounds of food through
their food pantry.
In addition to the
Backpack Program they
are currently feeding 38
shut-ins and 75 families
twice a month.
Holidays
For Halloween on Oc-
tober 31, they will be
hosting a Camp Hallow-
een.
“The kids will be able
to dress up, sit around a
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and we’ll have snacks
and candy,” Jackie said.
“Everyone is welcome.”
The Tylers are already
looking ahead, too, for
the upcoming holidays.
Their annual Commu-
nity Thanksgiving Din-
ner is held each year in
memory of the late Pas-
tor Jean Campbell.
“At last year’s commu-
nity Thanksgiving din-
ner, we fed 124 people
and made 60 plates to go
for people that were un-
able to get out and eat on
Thanksgiving,” Richard
said.
They said they need
donations for the up-
coming dinner, such as
canned corn and green
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mix.
“Those are some items
we never have enough
of,” he said.
Jackie said they are
also still taking dona-
tions of children’s books,
posters, pictures and
movies for the library.
Richard said anoth-
er project in the works
will be removing the old
gas tanks and pumps
through a state fund.
“We are going to leave
the awning up and put
some benches outside
for people to sit on,” he
said.
Free Mobile
Dental Clinic
“Melissa Stacey, com-
munity dental health
coordinator for Stigler
Health and Wellness
Center said they will be
offering a free mobile
dental clinic in Vian at
the center on Thursday,
Nov. 29, to anyone who
doesn’t have dental in-
surance,” he said.
Eligibility require-
ments state the patient
reside in Sequoyah,
Haskell, Latimer or Le-
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outside of Sallisaw or
Poteau. The patient can
be of any age as long as
they have no dental in-
surance, including Soon-
ercare.
Stacey encourages ev-
eryone to call ahead to
check for eligibility re-
quirement and to sched-
ule appointments in ad-
vance.
According to informa-
tion supplied by Stacey,
“We will see patients
from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
and encourage them to
call for appointments
but we’ll also try to take
walk-ins.”
Services offered will
include cleaning, x-rays,
patient education, ex-
ams, simple extractions,
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bridement.
Stacey said they also
offer discounted den-
tal services year round,
based on income and
household size.
To schedule an ap-
pointment or for fur-
ther information, call
918-773-7041, Monday
through Thursday from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or call
918-967-3368.