Growing up in Chickasha in the 1970s was a pretty special time. Downtown was hopping with retail and Chickasha had recently been recognized as an All American City by the National Civic League. For a kid coming of age here, it felt like the center of the world. My first job was Downtown at the old Dixie Department Store. Back then, you could walk downtown on a Saturday and see people on every block, every storefront lit up and busy. It was a fun time to be here, and an even better time to be a kid with a front-row seat to a community that believed in itself. At the center of my world was my dad. To me, he was simply my hero. To most everyone else, he was their driver’s ed teacher, their VICA sponsor, or the assistant principal at Chickasha High School. A lot of you reading this may have sat in his classroom, ridden in the driver’s ed car with your white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel, or visited with him in the hallways at CHS. His name was John P. Cowan. Forty years ago, just days before Father’s Day, my hero passed away from heart problems. It’s hard to believe it has been that long. Anniversaries like that have a way of making you look back, not just on the person you lost, but on the place and the people who helped shape you. As I reflect on growing up here, and on what called me back home in 2020, it’s easy to see my dad’s fingerprints all over that decision. He cast a big shadow, not in the sense of something to get out from under, but as a place of protection and purpose to stand within. Any time I’m having a rough day, I drive down the street named after him after he passed away. Thank you to then Mayor Charlie Furguson for making that street dedication happen. He was a husband and a father, but he was also something else… he was invested in this town. He believed in Chickasha, in its kids, in its future. Whether it was teaching teenagers how to parallel park, helping students in VICA learn skills that would carry them into careers, or serving as assistant principal at the high school, he poured himself into this community. He understood that building a life wasn’t just about taking care of your own household, it was also about taking care of your hometown. This past Sunday, the Chamber hosted a Flag Day celebration in Downtown Chickasha, just half a block from where I worked my very first job. That event, full of flags, families, and familiar faces was held as part of our ongoing effort to honor the 25th anniversary of Chickasha being recognized as an All American City and America’s 250 th birthday. Standing there, so close to where my working life began, watching our community gather in celebration of our country and our town, I couldn’t help but think about him, and about all the fathers who came before us. As we celebrate Father’s Day in Chickasha, I want to say thank you to all the incredible fathers in our community today. Those raising kids, coaching teams, leading classrooms, running businesses, volunteering at church, and showing up in a thousand quiet ways that may never make the paper but absolutely make a difference. And I especially want to thank my father, John P. Cowan, for standing up so many years ago and casting a shadow that I am honored to stand in today. His example is one of the main reasons I came back home. The older I get, the more clearly I see that the best way I can honor him is to try, in my own small way, to do for today’s Chickasha what he did for mine. The truth is, those fathers from Chickasha’s past, men like my dad and so many others whose names you could add to this list are still impacting our community today. Their influence lives on in the lives they touched, the students they taught, the values they modeled, and the love they had for this town. This Father’s Day, as you fire up the grill, make a phone call, visit a grave, or look at an old photograph, I hope you’ll take a moment to think about the fathers and father-figures who helped make Chickasha the place we’re proud to call home. We are, in many ways, still walking in their shadow which helps us appreciate #TheGoodStuff!

The Lion King Jr. will be performed at the Chickasha Community Theater June 19 th through the 28 th . Fifty four members of the cast will come out this Sunday at the Chamber’s Flag Day celebration to sing “You’re a Grand Ole Flag” which is perfect for the nature of the celebration. I have to admit that the movie “The Lion King” will always be one of my all-time favorites. It came out when my kids were young and we watched it a million times on VHS (yes I’m that old). One of my favorite lines from that movie was when Mufasa’s spirit came to Simba and told him to “remember who you are.” Back in 1971, Chickasha was named an All American City by the National Civic League, one of only a few rural towns in Oklahoma to ever receive that recognition. That wasn’t an accident. It was a reflection of what still makes this place special today: neighbors who show up, a Main Street that matters, and a Community that takes pride in its country and its hometown at the same time. We have a chance to live that out together this weekend as we “remember who we are.” The Chickasha Chamber is inviting everyone to come Downtown in front of the Community Theater at 2 p.m. this Sunday, dressed in your most patriotic red, white, and blue, and be part of our “Chamber Challenge ” with other Communities all over Oklahoma. This is about more than a photo op. It’s about showing that Chickasha is still that All American City at heart, proud of our country, proud of our town, and proud to stand together. Here’s what you can expect: Chamber Challenge Gathering Join your friends and neighbors as we help Chickasha shine in a statewide Flag Day challenge. Prizes from the Chief Drive In We’ll be giving away movie passes and concession vouchers from the Chief Drive In to see the movie “Top Gun” on June 15 th . Small-town summer nights don’t get much better than a fun night enjoying a Drive In movie and some popcorn. Free Snow Cones Cool off with a free snow cone while you visit with folks and enjoy the afternoon, courtesy of Express Personnel. Tommy Franks Traveling Museum Explore the Tommy Franks traveling museum, a hands-on way to connect with our nation’s military history and the people who have served. Flyover from Chickasha Wings Look to the sky for a flyover from Mitch with Chickasha Wings, a stirring reminder of both our local talent and national pride. Patriotic Performances by 54 kids from the cast of “Lion King Jr” Kids from the cast at the Chickasha Community Theater will be performing “You’re a Grand Ole Flag” because teaching the next generation to love their country and their hometown starts with moments just like this. So, dig out your red, white, and blue, grab your family and friends, and meet us Downtown this Sunday at 2 p.m . If you are a veteran or active duty military, check out the Chamber’s Facebook page for local businesses offering you a discount on Flag Day. Let’s show Oklahoma and remind ourselves that we “remember who we are,” Chickasha…an All American City that is full of #TheGoodStuff!