The Current Buzz Newspaper Two 1 | Page 25

t m s: l m m m m k m d k m e January 6-January 7 Tulsa Oilers vs. Colorado Eagles BOK Center Tulsa, OK 918-632-7825 www.tulsaoilers.com [email protected] January 6-January 7 Oklahoma Gun Show Expo Square Tulsa, OK 918-955-1092 www.oklahoma gunshows.com trish@oklahoma gunshows.com January 7 OSU Cowboys vs. OU Sooners Gallagher-Iba Arena Stillwater, OK 705-744-5745 www.okstate.com January 9-January 13 Chili Bowl Nationals Expo Square Tulsa, OK 918-838-3777 www.chilibowl.com [email protected] January 9 OKC Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers Chesapeake Energy Arena OKC, OK 405-208-4800 www.okcthunder.com January 9 OU Sooners vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders Lloyd Noble Center Norman, OK 405-325-8200 www.soonersports.com January 10 Tulsa Oilers vs. Wichita Thunder BOK Center Tulsa, OK 918-632-7825 www.tulsaoilers.com [email protected] January 12-January 13 Tulsa Oilers vs. Allen Americans BOK Center Tulsa, OK 918-632-7825 www.tulsaoilers.com [email protected] EXTRA BUZZ Don’t let Oklahoma’s nature trails dead end in 2018 By Amy Addams | Photo By C. Dave Hannis TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – If you miss the January 1 nature walks hosted by many Oklahoma’s state parks, don’t give up on them. Our parks need us. And we need them. There are plenty of activities (like eagle and loon watching) at a few, but the trails are open for you to enjoy a hike or bike ride and at places like Sequoyah State Park, cabins are available for rent, allowing you to get away on the cheap. Since the 1990s our state parks have dropped in overall numbers by almost half, they take up less than three percent of our land use, and only constitute .02 percent of Oklahoma’s budget annually, yet many want more money to be taken from their funds. And if our powers that be have their way, we are on the path to losing more parks in the very near future. In 2018, Oklahoma could have fewer than 20 state parks due to budget cuts going through the bone. What makes these cuts even more painful is that many locals only found out about the closings from the news media. The good news is that many of our local and tribal officials have taken the mantle from our state’s inability to budget its budget and localities like Sallisaw are keeping their parks open through grit, city funds and sheer determination. Six of the seven parks recently closed are in eastern Oklahoma where oil money isn’t fixing anything, yet income from tourism keeps localities from certain doom every year. There is also historical significance to preserving some of the parks; closing them would lead to the loss of the lands where significant Civil War battles occurred. So, what are we gonna do about it? Yes, WE. Yeah, we hear your thoughts already. You’re broke, you can’t make a dent in a problem so big with your crappy paycheck, etc. How about what’s going to happen to our cities and towns if you DON’T help our parks? Many cities and towns in eastern Oklahoma are going to fail in a most spectacular fashion without the tourism dollars that local parks bring so you are preparing for your future. Even a few dollars will go a long way to sustaining our economy. Skip your next McD’s meal or Starbucks and give our local parks the five dollars. Ask your friends and family to make a donation. Donate your change - they’ll take your pennies (they’ve been living on pennies for a long time). Every little bit is welcome. And needed. To donate to your local park, you can drop by the guard station. There is also a grass roots organization, “Save Oklahoma State Parks”, on Facebook where you can stay on top of what’s happening with our legislators and what they are doing (or not doing) to, or for, our parks. If you want to participate in the eagle/loon tours, Sequoyah and Tenkiller State Parks have many opportunities for you to see these majestic birds all winter long. Tours are happening January 13, 27, February 3, 10, 24, March 3. Events are subject to change due to inclement weather and other factors, so please call ahead to verify times and availability. Call [phone] for more information. Dress appropriately in multiple layers for temperature changes as well as the possibility of rain, wear comfortable shoes with warm socks, bring binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens is a great idea. Learn more about what your local parks have to offer: Greenleaf SP, Braggs, [phone] Osage Hills SP, Pawhuska, [phone] Lake Eufaula SP, Canadian, [phone] Lake Eufaula SP, Checotah, [phone] Beavers Bend SP, Broken Bow, [phone] Keystone SP, Sand Springs, [phone] Natural Falls SP, West Siloam Springs, [phone] Sequoyah SP, Hulbert, [phone] The Lodge at Sequoyah SP, [phone] Robbers Cave SP, Wilburton, [phone] Tenkiller SP, Vian, [phone] Cherokee Landing SP at Tenkiller, [phone] Grand Lake SP, Cherokee Area, [phone] Grand La ke SP, [phone] Disney Area at Grand Lake, [phone] Bernice Nature Area, Grand Lake, [phone] www.thecurrentbuzz.net | 25