Principal Chief Bill John Baker, left, and Deputy Principal Chief Joe Crittenden, right, present Scott O’Neal of the Tri-Community Volunteer Department in Adair County the District 2 Volunteer Firefighter of the Year award on Sept. 18 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Catoosa, Okla. COURTESY PHOTO




ᎦᏚᏏ, ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ – ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏔᏂ ᎾᏍᎩᎾ ᎤᎾᎵᏍᏕᎸᏙᏗ ᎾᎿ ᏍᎪᎯᏧᏈ ᏔᎵᏍᎪ ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᏚᎾᏙᏢᏒ ᎠᎾᏓᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎩ ᎠᏥᎳ ᏗᎾᏟᎯ ᎾᎿ ᏚᎵᏍᏗ ᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏕᎨᏥᏅᏁᎸ ᎠᏕᎳ ᏗᏎᏍᏗᏂᎦᏓ ᎨᏒ ᏗᎵᎪᏔᏅ ᎠᏰᏟ ᎢᏳᏆᏗᏅᏓ ᎠᏕᎸ ᎨᏒᎢ.

ᏫᎧᏁᏉᏓ ᎠᏂᎩᏍᎬ ᎠᏕᎳ, ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏅᏝᏗᏍᎩ ᏧᎾᏩᏙᏢ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎢᎨᎨᎳᏍᏔᏁ ᎾᎿ ᏍᏓᏯ ᏅᏯ ᏧᏂᏒᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ ᏧᏂᏆᏂᏲᏍᏗ ᏔᎳᏏ, ᎾᎿ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ ᏚᏁᎴ ᎠᏥᎳ ᏗᏅᏝᏗᏍᎩ ᎠᎴ ᏚᎾᏙᏢᏒ ᎤᏂᎩᏍᏗ.

“ᎯᎠ ᎠᏂᏍᎦᏯ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ ᎣᏍᏓ ᎨᏥᏏᎾᎲᏍᏔᏅ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎾᏕᎶᏆᎥ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏂᎦᏘᏲ ᏱᎨᏥᏯᏅᎯᏊ ᏧᏙᏓᏮᏓ ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᏧᏙᏓᏆᏗ ᏑᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎨᏒᎢ, ᎾᏍᎩ ᏧᏂᏍᏕᎸᏗ ᏕᎦᏓᏘᎾᎥᎢ. ᎣᎦᏚᎵᎭ ᏗᏦᎵᎩ ᎢᏳᎵᏍᏙᏗ ᎠᎴ ᏗᎵᎮᎵᏤᏗ ᎾᎾᏛᏁᎲᎢ,” ᎤᏛᏅ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ Bill John Baker. “ ᏄᏍᏛ ᎾᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏓ, ᎠᎴ ᎯᎠ ᏂᏓᏛᏁᎲ ᎡᎵᏊ ᏕᏗᏍᏕᎵᎭ ᎣᏍᏓ ᎠᎴ ᏙᎯ ᏕᎨᏅᏒᎢ.”

ᎯᎠ ᎪᎦ ᏥᎨᏒ ᎾᎿ ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ ᏭᎧᏲᏗᏴ ᎨᏒ ᎾᏳ ᎪᏪᎸᎢ, ᎾᏍᎩ ᏱᏄᏍᏗ ᎾᎿ ᏕᎦᎵᎪᎢ.

ᎠᎾᏓᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎩ ᎠᏥᎳ ᏗᏅᏝᏗᏍᎩ ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎦᏍᏙᎢ ᎠᏕᎳ ᎠᏂᏟᏏᏍᎬ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏁᏖᎳᏗᏍᎩ ᎦᎸᎬ ᎠᎾᏈᏱᏍᎪ ᎾᎿ ᎨᏌ, ᎬᏔᏂᏓᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ ᏐᎢ ᏓᎳᎬᏩᏝᏂᏙᎲᎢ.

ᎾᎿ ᏌᎷᎾᎨᏴ ᏚᏲᏅᏍᏓᏅ ᎣᏓᎸ ᎠᎾᏓᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎩ ᎠᏥᎳ ᏗᏅᏝᏗᏍᎩ ᎤᎾᏙᏢᎯ ᏕᎨᎪᎥ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏂᎳᏍᏴᏢ ᎠᎾᏓᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎩ ᎠᏥᎳ ᎤᎾᏙᏢᎯ ᏑᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎨᏒ ᎩᎶ ᏓᏃᏍᎪᎢ ᎣᏍᏓ ᏄᎾᏛᏁᎸᎢ ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎨᏒᎢ ᎾᎿ ᎤᎦᎾᏮ ᎢᏗᏢ ᎨᏒᎢ. ᎾᏍᎩᎾ ᎤᎾᏓᏈᎬ ᏌᏊ ᎤᏂᎧᎭ ᏅᏬᏘ ᎤᏅᏔ, ᎠᏂᏔᎵ ᎩᎶ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᏳᎵᏍᏓᏁᎵ ᎤᏟᏍᏗ ᎡᏙᎯ ᏗᎦᏚᎴᏂ ᏗᏂᏱᎵᏙᎯ, ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᎢᎬᏱ ᏩᎾᏬᎯᎵᏴᏍᎦ ᎠᎴ ᏅᎩ ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏓᏁᎯ ᏧᏂᎾᎢ ᎠᎹ ᎤᏍᎦᏎᏗ ᎠᎢᏒ ᏴᏫ ᏗᏂᏍᏕᎵᏍᎩ ᎠᎾᏕᏛᏍᎦ ᎨᎶ ᏯᎬᎦ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎾᏬᎯᎵᏴᏌ ᏔᎵᏍᎪ ᏑᏓᎵ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᎤᏙᏢᏒ ᏯᏛᎾ ᎦᎵᏦᏕ ᎠᎪᎲᏍᎬ ᎠᎴ ᏚᏅᏝᏓ ᏦᎢᏊ ᎤᏩᏌ Ꮭ.

“ᏝᏃ Ꮩ ᎦᎵᎬ ᎠᎴ ᎦᎵᏦᏕ ᏓᎪᎲᏍᎬ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏱᏓᏂᏍᏕᎵᏍᎪ ᎾᎿ ᎾᎥ ᏄᎾᏓᎸ ᎠᎴ ᎠᎾᏓᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎪ ᏧᏂᏯᏍᏗ ᎠᏂᏃᎭᎵᏙ ᏱᏓᎾᏠᎦ ᎠᎴ ᏗᏂᏲᏟ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎾᏍᏊ ᎠᏂᎾᏕᏒᎲᏍᎪ ᎾᎿ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᏓᏍᏆᎵᏍᎬ ᎠᎴ ᎠᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎪ ᎤᏂᏩᎯᏍᏗ ᏗᏂᏲᏟ ᏧᎾᏁᎶᏗ ᏧᎾᏁᎶᏗ ᎢᏳᏅᏙᏗ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᏔᎵᏁ ᎠᏓᎴᏁᎯ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ Joe Crittenden, ᎾᏍᎩᎾ ᎦᏬᏂᏍᎩ ᎨᏒ ᎾᎿ ᎠᎾᎵᏍᏓᏴᎲᏍᎬ ᎠᎴ ᏓᏂᏁᎸᏁᏍᎬ. 

ᎾᏍᎩ Afton ᎠᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎩ ᎠᏥᎳ ᏗᎾᏟᎯ ᎤᎾᏙᏢ ᎠᎦᏑᏰᏒ ᎾᎿ ᎦᏚᎲ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎬ ᎤᎪᏛ ᎾᏃ ᏌᏊ ᏯᎦᏴᎵ ᏍᎪᎯᏧᏈ ᎯᎦᏍᎪᎯ ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏔᏅ ᎢᏳᏟᎶᏓ ᏩᏥ ᎤᏪᏅᏍᏗ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏥᎳ ᏗᎾᏟᎯ ᎤᎾᏙᏢᎯ ᎾᎿ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗ ᎾᎿ ᎤᏴᏢ ᎢᏗᏢ ᎨᏒᎢ.

ᎠᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗᏍᎩ ᎠᏥᎳ ᏗᎾᏟᎯ ᎾᎿ ᏑᎶᏘᏴᏓ ᎠᎦᎵᎡᎵᏍᏗᏍᎬ ᎠᏥᏁᎸ Rod Windle ᎾᎿ Blue Jacket ᎡᎯ, Cherie Brave ᎾᎿ Hulbert ᎡᎯ, Nick Scott ᎾᎿ Checotah ᎡᎯ  ᎠᎴ Scott O’Neal ᎾᎿ Stilwell ᎡᎯ.