R & R Massage & The Salt Chamber

✨ When Was the Last Time You Felt Fantastic? ✨

• 🌬️ Breathe deeper. Feel lighter. Live better.

• 📍 Location: R & R Massage & The Salt Chamber, Shattuck, OK

• 💲 Mention this newsletter for $10 OFF any Salt Chamber session or service

• 📅 Book now and give your body the reset it deserves!

Why Try Salt Therapy?

🌿 Natural dry salt therapy helps:

• ✔️ Open your airways & ease breathing

• ✔️ Relieve sinus issues & allergies

• ✔️ Calm skin irritation (eczema, acne, psoriasis)

• ✔️ Melt away stress and promote deep relaxation
  
  

Treat yourself to a breath of fresh air literally. Your wellness upgrade is waiting. 💙

🐶 Featured Pups of the Week: Machiato & Andy 

🐶 Machiato – The Sweetheart in a Fluffy Suit

• 📍 Location: Woodward Animal Control Shelter

• 🐾 Breed: Heeler x Aussie mix

• 🎂 Age: 8 months

• ⚖️ Weight: 38 lbs

• ❤️ Temperament: Dog-friendly & loves humans of all ages

• 🩺 Health: Vetted in Shattuck, not yet fixed

Looking for a loyal cuddle buddy? Machiato is your girl. With her soulful eyes and gentle nature, she’s ready to melt into your heart. She’s still just a pup, eager to learn and grow in a loving home. Whether it’s a romp at the park or quiet time on the couch, Machiato is all in.

🐾 Andy – The Gentleman with Puppy Eyes

• 📍 Location: Woodward Animal Control Shelter

• 🐾 Breed: Heeler mix

• 🎂 Age: 2–3 years

• ⚖️ Weight: 42 lbs

• ❤️ Temperament: Dog-friendly, great with kids, leash-trained

• 🕵️‍♂️ Background: Came in as a stray — but ready for a fresh start

Meet Andy, the sweet, steady boy with the big brown eyes. He may not tell us his past, but he’s ready to build a beautiful future. Andy’s a well-mannered, people-loving guy who walks well on a leash and gets along with everyone—furry and human alike.

🐶 How to Adopt + Help Save Lives

Every adoption saves not just one life—but opens space for another. If you’re interested in adopting Machiato or Andy, contact or visit:

• 📍 Woodward Animal Control Shelter

• 📞 Call: (580) 254-4375

• 🕒 Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 AM – 5 PM

• 💻 More Info:savefido.com

🌟 Join the Movement: Save Fido

This spotlight is part of our mission through Save Fido—a community-driven campaign to stop unnecessary dog euthanizing. Every pet deserves a second chance, and you can be the hero that makes it happen.

Together, we can rewrite their stories. 🐾💙

Upcoming Events

Kid’s Inc Meeting

• 📅 Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2025

• 🕒 Time: 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM

• 📍 Location: Crystal Beach Sports Complex

• 📄 Details: A community gathering to discuss Kid’s Inc programming and activities for local youth.

Visual Arts Commission Meeting

• 📅 Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2025

• 🕒 Time: 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

• 📍 Location: Upstairs Conference Room (722 Main Street)

• 📄 Details: A short session where local visual arts plans and community engagement are discussed.
  
  

Board of Adjustments Meeting

• 📅 Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2025

• 🕒 Time: 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

• 📍 Location: City Commission Chambers, 722 Main Street

• 📄 Details: Local government board convenes to review zoning and property adjustment requests.

Commission Meeting

• 📅 Date: Monday, September 15, 2025

• 🕒 Time: 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM

• 📍 Location: City Commission Chambers, 722 Main Street

• 📄 Details: Regular city commission session covering important community news and decision-making.

Walk Out of Darkness – Mental Health & Substance Abuse Awareness

• 📅 Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025

• 🕒 Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

• 📍 Location: Pioneer Room, 1218 9th St.

• 📄 Details: An inspirational evening featuring live testimonials, resource booths, and an Rx drug take-back station to raise awareness and support mental health and recovery. Vendors welcome to participate.

Mr. Roy, Woodward Middle School’s longtime janitor, was the quiet backbone few noticed but none could truly forget.

He wore a forest-green jumpsuit and carried a faint scent of Pine-Sol and peppermints, slipping through halls as silently as a midnight cat.

Most saw him as just “the janitor,” but Mr. Roy noticed what others missed—including when sixth-grader Benny carried invisible troubles.

While teachers overlooked Benny’s struggles, Mr. Roy offered him peppermints and, in his own quiet way, listened when no one else did.

Soon after, the school counselor stepped in to help Benny—though nobody knew how she found out.

Benny grew up, shaped by the kindness of someone who never asked for credit.

Mr. Roy retired without fanfare, but his steady presence still echoes—a reminder that true local heroes rarely seek the spotlight.

🐄 “Steam, Saddles & Scandals: Woodward's 1894 Headlines”

A look back at the wild stories and everyday drama from Woodward’s early days.

📜 “This Week in 1894: Fire, Freight, and Frontier Politics”

What Woodwardians were reading, riding, and rallying for 131 years ago.

🗞️ “History Repeating? Inside Woodward's 1894 News Cycle”

Livestock exports, love stories, and political heat it’s all still oddly familiar.

🔥 The Trail of Death – 1894 Forest Fires in Minnesota

While Woodward thrived as a cattle hub, tragedy struck far north in Minnesota. In just 24 hours, forest fires wiped out six towns, with more than 500 people confirmed dead and hundreds more missing.

One headline read:

“Scenes of Destruction Too Horrible to Be Described.”

It was one of the deadliest wildfire disasters of its time, and a grim reminder of how quickly lives could change in the pioneer era.

💌 A Glimpse of 1894 Romance

Tucked into the pages of The Woodward News was a serialized story filled with yearning, love, and emotional dilemmas Victorian-era style.

A particularly touching exchange:

“I wish all were settled. I wish it with all my heart. How would you like to go away and leave all the worry and trouble behind, and be married away?”

Even back in 1894, love stories sold papers and pulled at heartstrings.

🚲 Ride of the Century: The Five-Person Bicycle

In the corner of the page is an eye-catching illustration: five boys riding a single extended bicycle! A reminder of the creativity (and chaos!) of early cycling experiments. This tandem-plus-plus might not pass today’s safety standards, but it sure made a statement back then.

✨ Bonus Tidbits from 1894:

• Boston chemist invented “whiskey tablets” – a bizarre attempt to solidify alcohol into chocolate-like form.

• Only one dog had ever ridden the New York City trolley for 28 years, according to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 🐕

• Chicago’s gas trust was slashing fuel prices — from $1.15 to just $1.00. People were excited.

Election Season in 1894

Back in 1894, voters in Woodward Territory were urged to “select your candidates regardless of party.” That fall, the ballot was split three ways between:

• Democrats (e.g., J.D.F. Jennings for Probate Judge)

• Republicans (e.g., L.L. Libbey for Sheriff)

• People’s Party (a populist group — Bob Benn ran for Sheriff)
  
  

That election season was hot with debate, and parties weren’t always what they seemed. A fiery article on the same page reads:

“Congress was trying to make the people believe there was a difference between a Republican farmer or laborer and a Democratic farmer or laborer… Pullman has wiped that fallacy from the face of the earth.”

 

Sound familiar? Political division, populist movements, and working-class frustration  some things never change.

Just west of 22nd Street in Woodward stands a small, round building—the faded steel walls once served as a guard shack at the WWII POW camp in Alva before becoming an unassuming barber shop.

For decades, it was Carl’s realm.

With gentle hands and a quiet presence, Carl cut hair for generations, turning the shop from a place of confinement into a space where stories and sorrows were set free.

Locals recalled how Carl listened not to reply, but to understand, quietly helping folks unburden their hearts.

One mournful customer found comfort in Carl’s unspoken empathy—the same chair he once shared with his father became a bridge to memory and love.

Though Carl is gone, that old shop endures, its walls quietly remembering the lives and secrets shared within.

Recent rainfall has delivered vital moisture to Oklahoma, lifting spirits among local farmers as wheat planting season begins.

This new precipitation has eased the drought, restoring more favorable conditions for planting wheat intended for grain and cattle grazing.

Just last October, Oklahoma endured its driest month ever, leaving soils parched and complicating wheat seeding and fertilizer use.

Now, with refreshed soil moisture, farmers are able to plant seeds at optimal depths, raising hopes for stronger seed germination and healthier crops.

Still, growers are staying alert, tracking forecasts and soil moisture while weighing factors like soil temperature and potential pests that could impact their efforts.

The agricultural community is cautiously optimistic that these encouraging trends will continue, promising a productive wheat harvest for both grain and livestock needs.

🍁 Recipe Corner: Woodward’s Warm Apple Crisp

There’s something about September that calls for cinnamon, apples, and something warm bubbling in the oven. This Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp is simple, comforting, and perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

🧺 Ingredients

For the filling:

• 6 medium apples, peeled and sliced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work great)

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 2 tbsp flour

For the crisp topping:

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

👩‍🍳 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Pour into a greased 9x9 baking dish.

3. In a separate bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter using a fork or your hands until crumbly.

4. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples.

5. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and apples are bubbling.

6. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. 🍨

Newsletter Highlights

• Key civic and arts meetings scheduled early in the week allow residents to engage directly with planning and community boards.

• A meaningful Walk Out of Darkness event later in the week centers on mental health and recovery, inclusive of community resources and engagement.

• The Free Fair, while concluding at the weekend, provides a segue into the upcoming week’s community rhythm.