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  • The elementary students of Fort Supply sing the "Star Spangled Banner" during the dedication of the new gymnasium Friday night. Photo by Johnny McMahan

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December 4, 2010

Fort Supply christens new gym

Dave Matthews Woodward News

Woodward, Okla. — “Thank you for coming to the very first basketball game in the new Fort Supply gym.”

That is how Fort Supply Superintendent Pat Howell greeted community members at the dedication of the new gymnasium Friday evening.

Howell said the new gym wouldn’t have been possible without members of the Fort Supply community who overwhelmingly passed a bond issue with 80 percent positive votes.

According to Howell, the new gym “is everyone’s gym.”  It belongs to the people in the Fort Supply area and to all those who helped make the gym a possibility.

“The turnout is great, we about filled it (gym) up,” Howell said, noting the new gym the (fire marshal) capacity of 800 people.

Basketball Coach David Tune said he is looking forward to playing in the gym.

“We are ready to kick off the season (in the new gym,)” he said.

Tune added the new gym would also help the basketball teams in practice.

“The teams have been practicing in the smaller gym with only 2 goals, and the new gym has 6 goals,” he said, noting this will help players to “get more shooting in during practice.”

Many former Fort Supply alumni were in attendance for the dedication ceremony Friday night.

Woodward Mayor Bill Fanning, a 1975 graduate, said the new gym is awesome.

“I grew up playing in the old gym that they have been using the past couple of years,” Fanning said.

He described the old gym as “dark and dungy” when he played basketball in it, but said the new gym is completely opposite of that.

“This (new) gym is bright and it's very nice in here,” he said, noting he would have liked to have played in it himself.

There is a lot of pride in the Fort Supply community, and this gym shows it, by the donations made to make this gym possible, he said.

Marty Weder, a 1985 graduate, said he used to play basketball in the old gym that had a carpet floor instead of a wooden floor. He then described the brand new, updated gym as "incredible."

In addition, where Howell said the new gym was made possible through community support, Weder said the school wouldn't have been able to build it and make other upgrades without Howell.

“He has a done a nice job with the school and he has brought it a long way,” he said.

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