Category Archives: Down The Road

The first part of my coverage from the Century 16 theater shootings

Welcome back. I am in Centennial, Colorado, a southern suburb of Denver which is just two miles east of 1-25. In the parking of the Arapahoe County District Courthouse I am surrounded by satellite trucks from all the major TV networks and the portable stages from which the reporters are sending in their daily commentaries.

Before I go any farther let me take you back to July 20, 2012 and the reason we are all here. Along with other theaters across the country, the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado was featuring the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. Several of the theater’s many screens were featuring the movie and the sold out midnight shows had received a lot of attention in the media.

The movie had been on for about thirty minutes when a man dressed in black entered one of the auditoriums through the front exit door nearest the screen. He threw a canister of tear gas into the audience and began shooting, spraying bullets into the crowd from three different weapons, a shotgun, a rifle and a pistol. In a matter of minutes twenty people were killed and seventy people were wounded, many while trying to escape. The shooter was wearing full body armor and a gas mask which made it difficult for people to defend themselves. After the attack he calmly left the theater through the same exit door and police found him standing next to his car in the parking lot outside the theater.

We now know that the shooter was twenty-seven year old neuro-science student James Holmes and his trial started on Monday. Legal experts here are saying that this could be the most complicated trial in history, largely because of Holmes’ psychological condition.

Security is tight as D.A. George Brauchler and Judge Carlos Samour, Jr. have laid out strict rules for courtroom observers and the press. In an unusual move, the full component of jurors and alternates is being seated and the identities of the actual jurors will not be known until after the verdict. The 19 women and 5 men are being escorted to and from the courtroom in secrecy all of which is unprecedented.

Holmes is represented by attorney Tamara Brady who had fought to have the trial moved to another locale because she does not believe he can get a fair hearing in this area. She has said that the case is “just too big.” Holmes has 165 charges against him including many for first degree murder and if he is found guilty the jury will have to decide between life in prison or death by lethal injection. A unanimous vote of all twelve jurors would be required for Holmes to receive the death penalty.

On the other hand, if Holmes is found “not guilty by reason of insanity” he could be sent to the Colorado State Mental Institute in Pueblo where the length of his stay would be determined by doctors. According to Denver Magazine, in Colorado the average stay in a mental health facility for individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity from 1995-2013 is 7.3 years. Although this is unlikely in Holmes’ case, like other high profile patients such as John Hinkley, he could eventually enjoy a level of privileges that would make him essentially a free man.

By all accounts from the judge, the attorneys and the reporters here in the parking lot of the courthouse, this trial will last several months and cost millions of dollars before it is over.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for The Good, The Bad & The Barbeque at the Mullendore Cross Bell Ranch. This is a rare opportunity to visit this historic ranch and help support Elder Care.

Welcome back.  The celebrities were out in full force this past Saturday night in Oklahoma City as the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum held their 54^th Annual Western Heritage Awards. What a night it was! The event actually started on Friday with a big “how do you do” kind of gathering that is always popular with great finger food and drink and gets everyone in the mood for Saturday night.

Rex Linn started things off on Saturday morning with an interview of four of John Wayne’s children, Patrick, Ethan, Melinda and Marisa and his granddaughter Anita which was open to the public. For Wayne fans like myself this was quite a treat. All of his kids and his granddaughter had been in his movies and their behind the scenes recollections were quite entertaining. They also told stories about Pawhuska born movie star Ben Johnson, Jimmy Stewart and Maureen O’Hara along with many others that had the crowd hanging on their every word.

The Wild Goose was mentioned quite a bit as all of the Waynes had spent a lot of time on board. If you’re not familiar with the Wild Goose, this was the name of John Wayne’s boat that he kept in Newport Harbor, California.  The boat was originally commissioned as a U.S. Navy YM-1-Class yard mine sweeper and was put into service in the Aleutian Islands during World War II.

The Wild Goose was decommissioned in 1946 and was sold to a wealthy Canadian. In 1956 Max Wyman bought the ship and traveled the world. When John Wayne bought the boat in 1962 he gave her a complete makeover and renamed her the Wild Goose. Wayne kept the boat until his death 17 years later and entertained not only his family but most of the notable celebrities and political figures of the day including two Presidents. All of the kids remembered having great fun on the board and that Wayne just loved that ship. I also learned that Jacques Cousteau’s famous ocean explorer The Calypso is the sister ship of The Wild Goose which is still available for charter in Newport Harbor.

This was a great start to what I knew would turn out to be a special evening. There was music of course, beginning when Michael Martin Murphy introduced Wylie Gustafson who sang his hit song “Where Horses Are Heroes”. After that Burns Hargis presented John Hughes’ children with a statue and formally inducted John into the Hall of Great Westerners. Many other awards were given for western fiction and non-fiction, photography and poetry, all leading up to the inductees into the Hall of Great Western Performers.

The first honoree was Ken Maynard (1895-1973) who by all accounts was a real “man’s man”. Maynard started out as a rodeo performer with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. After serving in World War I, he came home and got a big role in Ringling Brothers’ Circus. In 1923 his first silent film was released and an international star was born.

James Coburn was the other inductee and after appearances in more than 70 films I’m sure most of you are familiar with him. Coburn also appeared in dozens of TV shows from Bonanza to Perry Mason. 1966 was his breakout year with a role in the film “Our Man Flint’.

The HBO series Hell on Wheels- Return to Hell won the award for outstanding fictional drama and several of the stars were there to accept the award. Then Rex Linn and Jennifer Rodgers-Etcheverry presented “Klondike” with the award for best television feature film and “The Homesman” for outstanding theatrical motion picture.

The grand finale of the evening was the presentation of the Chester A. Reynolds Award to Harvey Dietrich, a man of great character and accomplishments. The sold out crowd gave him a standing ovation. As I said, quite a weekend and an event that I would definitely recommend for next year if the creek don’t rise.

Moving forward, James Holmes attorney doesn’t dispute that Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others when he started shooting in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Next week I’ll take you there with me for opening statements where a jury of not 12 but 24 individuals will decide Holmes’ fate.

Till next time I’ll see ya down the road……………………..

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This is a wonderful event to meet and mingle with leaders in western arts and heritage.

Welcome back.  It was 1961 in Oklahoma City and the event I’m getting ready to tell you about was then held at a place known as the Cowboy Hall of Fame. According to their records, the ceremony was created to honor and encourage the accomplishments of those whose works in literature, music, film and television keep the spirit of the American west alive. I wasn’t there back then but I have attended several Western Heritage Award ceremonies over the last dozen years and as a veteran event attendee I can tell you it’s a must. This year on April 17^th there’s the big Jingle Jangle Mingle party when the halls of the museum will be filled with food and drink and guests will be decked out in their finest western wear and jewelry. This is always a popular event as the rich and the famous rubs elbows with the rest of us celebrating the cowboy way of life and then on April 18^th the real awards begin. This is a big production and in my experience tickets go quickly so if you’re interested in tickets for Saturday call now.

In addition to the arts awards there’s the Hall of Great Western Performers award which is always exciting and another award called the “Great Westerner”. The evening wraps up with Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award, named for the museum founder.

This year’s featured celebrity guests are Patrick and Ethan Wayne which is another reason I think tickets will be hard to get, the longer you wait.  Patrick and Ethan will help present the Wrangler awards in film, television, literature and music. James Coburn (1928-2002) and Ken Maynard (1895-1973) will be inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers. In the middle of all this is the ceremony for the Hall of Great Westerners inductees. There are two people this year and the first is someone I know many of you Bartlesville, OK natives have heard of.

Born on May 16, 1933 in Bartlesville, he bought his first cow in junior high school. After graduating from high school in 1951, he went on to attend Oklahoma A&M where he earned a degree in Animal Science before taking over the operation of the family ranch. He and his college sweetheart Lorna Jane Moleod were married in 1956 and raised four kids, together. A member of the Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame, a leader in the state ranching community and now a honoree at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage, John Hughes stature continues to grow.

The Hughes Ranch was initially a cow-calf operation and then was converted to a stocker operation. Today the ranch, which lies along highway 123 in Osage County, is easy to spot because it is also home to hundreds of wild mustangs.

The other inductee Cotton Rosser is a legend in rodeo circles. His Flying U Ranch has provided livestock for the National Finals Rodeo in Denver, the big Houston Rodeo and another fifty or so other events every year. Born in 1928, Rosser and his family operate one of the largest rodeo stock breeding operations in the world.

Through my research I found that these two men fit the criteria for the “Great Westerner” to a t:

1. Exceptional contribution to the advancement of Western heritage and traditions over a lifetime. 2. Individuals who promote America’s rich Western heritage through their leadership and patronage of art, business industry, environmental, education, humanitarian, government or philanthropic organizations. 3. Achievement of national significance and historic relevance. 4. Exemplification of the traditional Western ideals of honesty, integrity and self-sufficiency over a lifetime.

Look for more on this party next week and with cowboy history in mind don’t forget Elder Care’s big shindig out at the Crossbell Ranch in May. Till next time I’ll see ya down the road….

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To all of you who are still waiting for a copy of Footprints in the Dew I am working hard to get the book into print. Stay tuned.

Welcome back.  In the past I’ve written about the importance of volunteers and the great service they provide to organizations throughout our community. These dedicated people donate their time saving thousands of dollars in salary and benefit costs which makes it possible for many not-for-profits to survive.

One volunteer group that I have never mentioned and that seldom gets its due unless you suddenly need them began in Rome in 6 A.D. You may not know it but your local part-time or on call volunteer firefighters usually work at other jobs when they are not responding to fires, accident scenes or health emergencies. These men and women spend hundreds of hours training in fire suppression, first aid and lifesaving. They also learn how to repair equipment and keep it at the ready which can take hours after they respond to a call. This maintenance which frequently occurs at rural fire stations is as important as the response to the call itself.

After watching our local team work an out of control fire this past weekend that threatened several homes, I think that these fearless people should be considered heroes to all of us who live in rural areas and depend on them, That said I am hoping that some of you might like to join this noble group so here’s the pitch:

First of all make sure you’re ready to commit. This is serious stuff and taking on this type of responsibility isn’t for everyone.  It’s dangerous and requires long hours of training and preparation. There is an age requirement and you have to pass both a background check and a physical fitness test. If you think it might be for you, contact your local rural fire department for screening. Then get ready for the 110 N.F.P.A. certified course that all volunteer fire fighters must take. After completing the course many people decide to pursue a career in either firefighting or as an E.M.T. so volunteering is a good place to start.

If hazardous materials, arson, public safety, civil defense and disaster relief interest you, this may be your calling. If it is you will be joining a much larger group of volunteers not only in the United States but also Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and many other countries where people depend on their V.F.D. So next time you get the chance thank a fireman or better yet send them a check.

I’ll end this week with the inspiring history of some of our fellow Americans from World War II which you may have heard of:

James Stewart, Actor, Bomber Pilot and General.

Ernest Borgnine, Gunner’s Mate on the destroyer USS Lamberton, who served ten years and then re-enlisted in 1941 to fight the Japanese.

Kirk Douglas who served on a U.S. Navy sub chaser and was wounded in action.

Dale Robertson, a Tank Commander under General Patton and twice wounded in action.

Lee Marvin, a U.S. Marines sniper, wounded in action and buried in Arlington National Cemetery next to Joe Louis.

Art Carney, served in the U.S. Army and was wounded on D Day in Normandy resulting in a limp he had for the rest of his life.

George Kennedy enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor and served for sixteen years.

James Arness was an infantry man in the Army and was severely wounded in Italy.

Don Knotts fought with the Army in the Pacific theater.

Raymond Burr served with the U.S. Army and was shot in the stomach at Okinawa.

John Wayne volunteered three times to three different branches but was considered unfit due to pre-existing injuries.

Audie Murphy, America’s most decorated soldier, who served in the U.S. Army.

These are just a few of the famous people who could have chosen a much different path during World War II but decided to fight for our country instead.

Before I go I want to thank all our service men and women for all they’ve done and will do.

Till next week, I’ll see ya down the road….

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The snow has been outstanding in Colorado and New Mexico this year. Here is the report from a couple of my favorite resorts….

Welcome back. I’ll start this week with the snow report from Angel Fire Resort in northern New Mexico. As many of you know this is one of my favorite areas of the country and this year the skiing is outstanding.  They have had 198” inches of snow and all the lifts and trails are open just in time for spring break.

The ski area is hosting the “Fiesta del Sol” over break which includes contests and special parties. They have also installed a giant airbag for skiers and snowboarders who want to test their skills with special jumps and tricks. Angel Fire is a perfect family resort and an easy drive from my home base in Bartlesville.

I’ve often mentioned Cimarron, New Mexico in my column which is just thirty miles from the slopes. If you are unable to ski like myself, a stop at the St. James Hotel offers the opportunity to spend the night in an historic lodging dating back to the early settlement of the area. Philmont Boy Scout Ranch is just down the road as well and it is always worth a visit no matter what the season.

My friends at the Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs, Colorado tell me the skiing is also fantastic at nearby Wolf Creek ski area. Wolf Creek has had over 200 inches of snow and their entire 1600 acre ski area is open. This mountain offers trails for everyone from the novice to the expert skier.

The Springs Resort has some special lodging and ski packages for Wolf Creek and all of their guests have 24 hour a day access to the 23 soaking pools on the property which are fed by the natural hot springs there. The Springs encompasses the world’s deepest geothermal hot spring and is situated alongside the Pagosa River. I can tell you from experience that this is a wonderful place to stay and there is nothing like the hot springs to ease your aches and pains.

In other sporting news, I was able to attend Saturday night’s sold out professional boxing matches at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma and the boxing fans in attendance got their money’s worth. The promoter Tony Holden is well known in the boxing business and in 1990 with a world champion in his stable  he was king of the hill so I knew it would be a good show. Always on the lookout for a story, I’ve interviewed professional boxer Kenzie Morrison both for the paper and on the radio and I knew his dad. Even if you are not up on boxing, Kenzie and his brother Trey Lippe Morrison are names I think you will be hearing frequently in the future. They are the sons of World Heavyweight Champion and film star Tommy Morrison whose story has been told many times before. Tony Holden was Tommy’s promoter and now he is helping Kenzie and Trey make a name for themselves in a tough business. In their early twenties Kenzie and Trey are rising stars in the sport and with Tommy’s blood in both of them, my scoop of the week is to catch one of their local fights while you can. Before long you’ll have to spring for airfare to a major venue and your seats will cost a whole lot more. If you haven’t heard, both boys won their fight with a knockout in the first round.

I’m wrapping up this week with a “save the date” reminder for your calendar. Each spring Elder Care in Bartlesville holds their annual fundraiser The Good, The Bad and The Barbeque at the Mullendore Cross Bell Ranch which is opened to the public just for the event. There is always great food and music and lively silent and live auctions with something for everyone.

This year the date is Saturday May 9^th and the event chairperson, Virginia Sawyer, tells me that there will be new bands and other surprises in store for guests. Call Elder Care at (918) 336-8500 for ticket and sponsorship information.

Till next week, I’ll see ya down the road…..

Another story of murder and mayhem from Stephenville, Texas. Stay turned for more on Footprints in the Dew….

Welcome back. This week I’m taking you back in time again. It’s late August 1974, the year in which Patty Hearst was kidnapped and Oklahoma was NCAA Football Champions. 1974 was also the year in which Richard Nixon became the first President in our history to resign. Chub was dodging subpoenas and living in rural Caney, Kansas.

In Stephenville, Texas one of the largest manhunts in the history of the state was underway. Residents in the area had been in a state of terror ever since Richard Mangum, Dalton Williams and Jerry Ulmer escaped from the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City, a small town just over the border from Oklahoma.

According to the Stephenville Empire Tribune, after the trio had stuffed pillows under the covers of their beds to make them look occupied, they had hidden in a tool shed, climbed over three prison walls and stolen a car. They planned to rob a bank and flee to Mexico but first they had a few scores to settle.

First the escapees went to Roswell, New Mexico where they stole two rifles and a gas station and robbed a gas station. They hid during the day and then headed out for Las Vegas, New Mexico. Along the way they kidnapped two young women whom they raped repeatedly during their travels. In Rotan, New Mexico they murdered rancher R.L. Baker whose testimony had put Williams in prison.

The three then came to the Stephenville area hunting for Mrs. Ray Ott who had testified against Ulmer. When they found Mrs. Ott they killed her also.  After both murders there were wounded witnesses left alive and instructed to tell everyone in the country that they were back.

Over the next two days the three convicts engaged in running gun battles with over 200 state police, Texas Rangers and local authorities when it was discovered that they were just right outside of town. Investigators assumed that their next target would be D.A. Bob Glasgow who had prosecuted them. Jury members and other local officials were also considered to be in danger.

On Wednesday August 26^th, the three stole another car and then wrecked it, leaving them on foot. Residents throughout the county were either evacuated or told to barricade themselves in their homes as the manhunt intensified.

After raping the two young women several more times, in a rare act of humanity the convicts released them. The three made their way to a nearby creek bed where they attempted to elude law enforcement and shot several dogs who barked as they crawled by. Now they were literally running from hedgerow to hedgerow, crossing through yards as the police closed in. It was then that Officers Richard Trail, Jim Ellmore, Freddie McDonald and Larry Brandenburg fired several times at the fleeing men. Richard Magnum was shot once in the jaw and died on the scene. The other two men threw themselves to the ground in surrender and their vendetta was over. Hundreds of residents came back to their homes and normalcy returned to this quiet community which had been in the national spotlight for several tense days in 1974.

Stephenville, Texas faded from national awareness until two years ago when Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield were murdered there. The town has remained the focus of attention again throughout the arrest and trial of their now convicted murderer, Eddie Ray Routh.

Moving forward, this past Sunday marked the end of my experiment in social media, namely my kickstarter campaign. This has been an interesting experience which I will be writing more about soon.

Thank you all very much for your great support and interest in my project.

Till next week I’ll see ya down the road……

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The kickstarter campaign has just ended and it has been an interesting experience to say the least. Thank you to everyone who supported the project. Stay tuned for the next developments.

Welcome back. Although I’m currently back in Stephenville, Texas to continue covering the murder trial of Eddie Ray Routh, I’m starting this week with Oklahoma State’s basketball team. On Wednesday my travels took me to Stillwater the game against Iowa. Henry Iba brought big time basketball to this town and unbelievably you can still see a game there for just fifteen dollars. I started off sitting in the nose bleed seats but when I caught my breath after the climb I really enjoyed the view. During the second quarter I was able to move down to the dead center of the court, just a few rows back from the floor. It’s hard to figure out why attendance wasn’t better that night because when you have two ranked teams playing you know you’re going to see a good game and I did. Another highlight of a visit to the university is seeing all the student life on campus. When you are far beyond your college years like I am, it’s fun to see all the energy and enthusiasm these kids have.

After spending the night in Stillwater, and with basketball still on my mind, I headed down the highway another two hours to Oklahoma City where I knew the Oklahoma City Thunder would be playing at Chesapeake Arena. As we now know, it would be the last scheduled game for two members of the team. Here’s a tip if you plan to catch a game. There’s lots of street parking right next to the arena and if you arrive a couple of hours early you can park practically right in front of the building. While you’re waiting, Bricktown is just a couple of blocks away which is an area that is full of great restaurants. The Oklahoma City Bombing memorial and Museum is also close by and if you haven’t been there I highly recommend a visit.

My next stop in town was the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club where IMPACT OKC Magazine was honoring their “Man of the Year”. You regular readers know that I learned about this person about five years ago and I have written about him and his generosity several times since then. However for you new followers, I will start from scratch with some of the information that was included in his recent interview in the magazine.

“For over thirty years Robert “Bob” Funk has built Express Employment Professionals into the leading employment solutions company in the United States with over 700 franchisees in the United States and in multiple countries. In 2012 Express had 2.3 billion in sales and found work for over 367,000 people.  Bob has also developed Express Ranches into the number one breeder of Angus cattle in the United States with four ranches in Oklahoma and a 167,000 acre ranch in New Mexico… Despite his great success and the wealth he has earned, Bob has become best known for his generosity to many different causes and he says that his greatest joy comes from giving his money away.”  These are just a few of the many organizations he supports: Children’s Miracle Network, Youth Expo, The Western Heritage Center and Cowboy Hall of Fame and right here in Bartlesville, the #1 Not for Profit Organization in the State of Oklahoma for 2014, Elder Care.

Wrapping up a quick two day trip, I was able to get over to the Oklahoma City fairgrounds where one of the largest sales of its kind was in progress. The Leake Auto Auction is celebrating fifty years of selling rare, collectible cars and their expertise was on display at this sale. With close to five hundred cars to sell, they used two sale rings, bringing in one high dollar car after another. I have no idea how they sold them all in just a few hours but everything worked like a finely tuned watch as they say.

The auction is coming to the Tulsa fairgrounds in June and even if you’re not in the market for this type of car, it is fun just to be a spectator.

Till next week when I’ll be bringing you more from the courtroom in Stephenville, I’ll see ya down the road…

P.S. If you want more on these stories visit my website for daily updates: www.originalbuffalodale.com

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Stephenville, Texas is completely iced in and so am I. Court was canceled today but they plan to resume the trial in the morning. With more ice moving in, we’ll see what happens.

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                    Looking back in time………………..                                 

Down The Road with the Original Buffalo Dale

 Welcome back. The recent death of my friend George Worten has brought back many memories. He and I both graduated from high school in 1970 and I’ll start this week with a few of the many significant historical events that occurred during that year:

It was big news when four students at Kent State University were killed by the Ohio National Guard during a protest against the Cambodian Campaign.

On the cultural front, The Beatles broke up and the movie Love Story won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

American began to turn when the first Earth Day was held, beginning widespread awareness of environmental issues.

Closer to home, the Kansas City Chiefs shook the sports world when they won Super Bowl IV.

And in Oklahoma tragedy struck when a prominent Osage County rancher was murdered in his own home. Books would be written and many high profile people became involved but the crime was never solved. Now approaching 45 years later,

September 26, 1970 is a date that many Oklahomans will never forget.

1970 was also the year that computer floppy disks were first introduced. To learn more about the murder of E.C. Mullendore III or any of the other events I’ve mentioned visit my website www.originalbuffalodale.com.

Moving forward, now in the aftermath of last year’s Boston bombing, I am planning a return visit to cover the trial of Dzhokhor Tsarnav whose jury selection begins on January 5th. I am expecting to find the city changed by this event and security will be tight to say the least.

You longtime readers may remember that I was there in June 2013 when Whitey Bulger, the leader of the notoriously brutal Winter Hill Gang in Boston, was on trial. Bulger had been apprehended after years as a fugitive and he happened to be arrested in Santa Monica, CA on June 20, 2011 while I was staying there. The time I spent attending his trial was worth every minute. Hanging out with big time news personalities along with the opportunity for a rare interview with Whitey’s brother I hope brought the tragic story to life for my readers.

Of course one can’t go to Boston without making a stop in the town of New York. Yes, with a population of 8,310,212 in five boroughs, town is not the right word for New York City but to me it is America’s biggest town. With so many people living in such a small area, it is amazing how well the city operates. Over the past year I have been lucky enough to visit three times for several weeks at a time and had nothing but great days there. Contrary to many news reports, I didn’t witness any crime or see any bodies in the street. People are friendly, the cops are cool and there is an electrifying sense of energy in the air.

I also have my eye on the January jury selection process in the trial of James Eagen Holmes who was arrested for the mass shooting in an Aurora, Co. movie theater two years ago. Of course there will be lots of press coverage for that trial as well and if you’ve never been to Denver in the winter, it’s a treat so I may be headed that way as well. Lots of miles and lots of stories. Till next time I’ll see ya down the road….

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my kickstarter.com campaign for Footprints in the Dew– follow the link from the homepage of this website!

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