November 2025

Chamber Buzz

• •Santa Bucks giveaway returns with record prizes up to $2,500 this holiday season.
• •Shop at participating merchants Nov. 1 onward; earn one ticket per $10 spent.
• •Last year's promotion generated $19 million in sales for 75 local merchants.

November FOOD CRUSH - Mary’s Grill

• •Mary's Grill in Tonkawa serves classic comfort food and homemade pies since 1955.
• •Owner Carol Sawyer sources from local businesses like FFA chapters and farm-fresh eggs.
• •Seven pie varieties made daily include apple, cherry, chocolate meringue, and strawberry.

Crafting With Creative Friends

• •Creative Friends group meets monthly on third Saturdays for crafting of all kinds.
• •Founded in June 2024 by Krista Robertson and Donna Hingtgen to inspire creators.
• •September's extended event draws crafters from across Oklahoma to Ponca City.

PLAY REVIEW: A Night with Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson at the Ponca Playhouse

• •Ponca Playhouse presents a gender-swapped take on Sherlock Holmes with female leads Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson.
• •The production features audience interaction and a small cast of four actors playing multiple characters with quick costume and dialect changes.
• •Forest Noelle-Bailey and Taryn Pruett showcase impressive versatility, seamlessly switching between roles including Lestrade and Irene Adler.

Ponca Playhouse’s Production of Kate Hamill’s Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson, Apt 2B on stage November 14th to 23rd!

• •Ponca Playhouse presents Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson, Apt 2B November 14-23 with evening and matinee shows.
• •Director Nathan Oesterle reimagines classic Sherlock Holmes as a modern buddy cop story blending contemporary life with literature.
• •Jess Trout stars as Ms. Holmes and Maya Arana as Dr. Watson in this hilarious, heartwarming production.

Charles (Stoney) Barrows

Miller Stahl Funeral Home

Charles Raymond Barrows, 66, lovingly known as "Stoney," was called to his eternal resting place on November 12, 2025. He was surrounded by family who cherished him deeply, after a…

Mental Health Minute with Mr. Ponca City

• •Gratitude rewires your brain by lowering stress hormones and strengthening vital circuits.
• •Cognitive behavioral therapy shows thoughts create feelings, which directly influence your behaviors.
• •Where your attention goes, energy flows—focusing on positives shapes your reality.

Bold Flavors, Warm Vibes:

• •Toni and Katee Nemer opened Ziggi's Coffee on North 14th Street in November 2023.
• •Ziggi's offers hundreds of drink options including lattes, smoothies, teas, and seasonal specials.
• •Fall menu features sweet-and-spicy Mike's Hot Honey Latte and creative sodas like Oh My Gourd.

Ponca City Regional Airport:

• •Current airport terminal building is over 50 years old and needs updating.
• •Enrique's Mexican Restaurant has operated at the airport for over 40 years.
• •Owner Mercedes Avila took over management from her Cuban immigrant father in 2005.

We Grew 75% of Our Family’s Food - Then Life Shifted

• •Liz Threlkeld's family grew 75% of their food in 2023-2024 on their homestead.
• •She shifted from self-sufficiency to community-sufficiency through bartering surplus produce.
• •Use large overlapping cardboard pieces for weed management in garden tomato beds.

Game On: The Rise of Esports in Oklahoma Schools

• •Esports now recognized as legitimate competitive activity by Oklahoma schools
• •Ponca City High School launched esports program in new STEM building in 2024
• •College scholarships for esports exceeded $16 million nationally in 2020 alone