You may know Enid for Vance Air Force Base, sweeping fields of wheat or the timeless sound of the Enid Symphony Orchestra. But the largest city in northwest Oklahoma is also home to two of NonDoc’s volunteer News Ambassadors, Lisa Bland-Selix and Sally Clickner, who amplify our outreach efforts by promoting NonDoc’s email newsletters and direct-text program. In addition to connecting members of their community with our coverage of state issues, they also keep our team up to date on Enid happenings.
A lifelong Enid resident with a passion for journalism, Selix ran a successful freelance photography business while juggling life as a wife and mother of three. From 2015 to 2020, she served as director of INTEGRIS Senior Life Network, a wellness organization that created healthy aging initiatives for those 50 and older. She later managed a COVID-19 vaccine confidence grant as program manager, which aimed to reduce vaccine hesitancy through education and outreach until the project’s funding concluded in 2023.
Clickner spent most of her life on a farm southeast of Enid before attending Phillips University, getting married and raising three children. She dedicated 45 years to teaching business at Garber High School. Beyond the classroom, she served for many years as a referee for junior high volleyball and now spends her retired time with her family and garden.
Nobody knows a community like the people who call it home. In the following Q&A, Selix and Clickner help us explore Enid with their community insights, knowledge of local history and hopes for their city’s future. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity, grammar and style.
What makes the community of Enid special?
Lisa Bland-Selix: Enid is a unique town of approximately 50,000 people. Founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, some residents can still trace their heritage to those who made this historic journey. Known as the “Wheat Capital of Oklahoma,” with the third-largest grain storage capacity in the world, Enid still has a large number of wheat elevators, the skyscrapers of the plains.
Enid is large enough for Starbucks and most fast-food establishments, but it’s not big enough to support many of the types of businesses residents would like to see here, simply because of the changing landscape of business and commerce. Online shopping’s popularity and convenience, as well as the pandemic, caused some permanent shifts in retail and consumer behavior as a whole. The closeness of Stillwater, Edmond and OKC encourages many to look to those locations for shopping and entertainment opportunities.
Sally Clickner:Â The people make Enid special. So many step up to help others and to make the community a better place to live. Another perk of living here is that I can make it to any place in town in less than 30 minutes.
What’s one event, festival or community tradition that you think everyone should experience?
Bland-Selix: Enid Lights Up the Plains is Enid’s kick-off event to the holiday season. This tradition started in 2003 and offers a night of family fun, fireworks and a parade. It is one of the biggest community events held on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Clickner: That’s tough. The Fourth of July fireworks at Meadowlake Park with the Enid Symphony Orchestra, the first civic orchestra in Oklahoma, playing is a longtime favorite. Light Up the Plains along with The One’s Christmas Tree event is a more recent favorite. There is also the Cherokee Strip Parade and Chautauqua, in which we get to learn about the lives of people throughout history.
What’s a memory or moment in Enid that has stuck with you over the years?
Bland-Selix: As a child in Enid, two events remain in my memories. The Tri-State Music Festival invites bands from all over to perform in the annual parade and other marching contests, as well as solo and ensemble performances. There was even a short film narrated by Jimmy Stewart highlighting the fun of this yearly festival. Crazy Days was a massive shopping event, and Enid’s downtown square was filled with retail shops. For both events, the streets were teeming with people. Crowds lined the sidewalks, and the attendance was amazing.
Clickner: The flood of 1973 is a bad memory. So many people lost so much, and nine lives were lost. Good memories are Summerfest in the ’80s, with hot air balloons, log rolling and more at the airport, and Crazy Days, when people dressed up and spirits were high as they walked around the square getting “unbelievable bargains.” The ice storm of 2002 was beautiful and a challenge, since electricity was out for some for over a month.
What are some local issues that you wish would receive more attention?
Bland-Selix: I feel one of Enid’s biggest challenges involves community unity. Enid seems challenged in getting the majority of the community on board with various ideas and initiatives. The AMC movie theater located in Oakwood Mall closed in December 2021. This is constantly brought up on social media in discussions regarding Enid’s future. Currently, there are ongoing discussions with the City of Enid and potential developers and investors regarding how to make sure there’s a theater in our community.
Many have argued that Enid should not be in the business of real estate ownership and development, leaving that to others. Street repairs are constantly brought up in discussions regarding Enid improvements. Citizens would like to see larger retail stores open locations here. Unfortunately, the mall has become like many malls across the country — run down and needing repair. It is mostly vacant. The last owners did not deliver what they promised, which forced many stores to close.
Clickner: The solar farm southeast of Enid is quite controversial. The lack of county and state oversight on these farms is very concerning. Also, I would like to hear more discussion about easy and accessible recycling. Drop-off recycling is all that is available, and with limited hours, it’s tough for many to recycle.
What is the local media landscape like in your community, and how do you think it could be improved?
Bland-Selix: Enid has one local newspaper, the Enid News & Eagle. Newspaper readership and how people read and consume news content have changed profoundly in the past 25 years. These influences have forced a former twice-daily to one edition, Tuesday through Saturday.
There is Enid Buzz, run by a local content creator who provides online updates, paid advertising and sponsorships. Enid Monthly, a tabloid publication, was started by an Enid attorney during a hiatus from his law practice. It continues. Our local radio stations offer some news coverage. Market fragmentation in this area influences their impact.
Clickner: The Enid News & Eagle is the newspaper that covers the area. Lack of subscriptions has meant less coverage, and with total access at $26 per month and digital-only access at $18 per month, most people aren’t able to see what is happening in the area. I would like to see the digital subscription price significantly drop so that more could afford it. Enid Buzz and Enid Area Chit Chat are Facebook sites many turn to for information. There are talk radio and country radio stations, but no news is given.
What have you enjoyed about participating in NonDoc’s News Ambassadors program?
Bland-Selix: NonDoc’s News Ambassadors program has been insightful and meaningful, especially since NonDoc’s nonprofit status allows it to be nonpartisan. NonDoc provides state coverage that digs deeper into the stories making headlines, a rare commodity in today’s commerce-driven environments. Being involved has kept me more involved in local issues, and I enjoy my check-ins with you, Megan. You update ambassadors regarding the organization and specific storyline areas. I appreciate that you inquire if there are any local topics that we believe need coverage. The gathering we had last July at a local brewery was a great opportunity to invite the community to become more familiar with NonDoc.
Clickner: I enjoy reading and sharing the excellent reporting so more people will learn what is happening in our state.
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What are your hopes for the future of Enid?
Bland-Selix: Enid has much to offer its residents. One of its biggest challenges is that it is constantly competing with Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Enid needs to figure out what its identity truly is and concentrate on finding ways to become a destination in its own right. We have unique opportunities with Vance Air Force Base, a diverse population and many great individuals who need to learn to work together, rowing in the same direction to help Enid be the best it can be for its residents and visitors.
Clickner: I hope a movie theater comes sooner rather than later. I hope the city becomes more involved in working with others to “solve” the community’s problems, such as homelessness and food insecurity.
