From what I have heard around Yukon this week, most people will be celebrating Cinco De Mayo today on Saturday, May 4 as opposed to tomorrow Sunday, May 5.
Several of our readers told me they will be hosting neighborhood parties complete with grilled fajitas, chips and homemade salsa and of course pinatas full of candy for the kids. I plan to eat Poquito de Mexico Saturday for lunch and then hit Green Chile Kitchen for dinner. On Sunday, of course, I will take my family to Alfredo’s with, what the wait staff calls the rest of the “church people.”
I can remember when Yukon only had Poquito’s on Main Street, Cocina De Mino in Bethany and Serapio’s in El Reno. It still amazes me how this town has changed during the past 20 years and especially how the number of Mexican food restaurants in this area has flourished.
I still think Carlos at Poquito should have bottled his salsa and private labeled his chips. I love that combination and have eaten it for 30 years. It just never gets old.
I hope to see our Yukon Mexican Food restaurants start to beef up their advertising to our neighbors to the north in Piedmont since they lost their only Mexican food restaurant this week, Los Sabinos. Mr. Velasco said that he was just tired and didn’t want to do it anymore.
I think it is a great opportunity for Yukon to capture some sales tax by inviting those folks to Yukon.
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In 2006, I met fellow newspaperman, Larry Miller, who at the time was the publisher of the Edmond Sun. Larry was a veteran publisher and was familiar with writing newspaper budgets for chain-owned publications. I became acquainted with him when former Jackie Cooper Auto Galleria owner John Holt called me one day and told me to come down to Chickasha and interview for the publisher job in that town.
Holt told me the Chickasha Daily Express was really struggling and they needed a shot in the arm that he felt I could bring to the operation. Anyway. I drove down to Grady County that day and met with some of the senior managers at C.N.H.I. who at the time owned many daily newspapers throughout Oklahoma. We talked for about three hours and by the end of our talk I found myself on the phone with Larry at the Edmond Sun.
We met for dinner at Charleston’s and in about 20 minutes and three perfect margaritas later I had been hired as the advertising director at the Edmond Sun. I really had to hit the ground running in Edmond since at the time it was a 6-day per week daily newspaper. I quickly hired three more advertising salespeople and began holding daily mandatory 7 a.m. sales meetings to figure out how in the world we were going to pull off a miracle and reach our $2 million goal by December 31.
Larry asked me if I really thought we could hit those outrageous numbers that rivaled similar goals by fellow C.N.H.I papers like the Muskogee Daily Phoenix, The Enid News Eagle, The Ada Evening News and the Tahlequah Daily Press. I remember telling Larry that no one on the planet would work harder than me and this staff to make things happen.
We hit our goal on my birthday, December 22. I sold Compassionate Care Hospice eight custom newspaper racks with outside advertising wraps for $25,000, and then closed out the year with our two-page blitz of free funerals for anyone killed while drinking and driving on December 31. Sometimes shock and awe makes the cash register ring.
Larry Miller went on to become publisher of the Sumpter Item (daily in Sumpter, South Carolina) He came back home to Oklahoma last year when he and his investors bought the Durant Daily Democrat, the Frederick Leader and the Altus Times all along Oklahoma’s Red River valley.
I always liked that guy. He always let me be me and do whatever the hell I had to do to make a deal and sell our advertising. I always stayed out of his way and let him handle his business and report to corporate, which I despise.
I think Larry Miller is one of those good newspapermen that can fit in any community he chooses. I know he will get things rolling in southern Oklahoma.
I know he thinks I will get things rolling in Central Oklahoma. I am always grateful our paths crossed. Let’s just say it seems I am always working around Millers in one way or another!
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Did you know that A&W Root Beer is 100 years old in 2019?
When I was a kid, my momma would take me to the A&W Drive-In on 12th Street in Moore, Oklahoma and get me the mini-mug or Root Beer to go with my plain hamburger.
If you remember those heavy glass mugs from yesteryear and would like to have one or two of them for the upcoming summer months, subscribe to the Progress today for only $39 per year and I will give you a mug absolutely free. Just ask for the Arthur Walfred special when you call me!
Thanks so much for reading. I will see you next Saturday. Would you like a Progress?
