Melvin Moran, Seminole businessman, authorized The Producer today to announce his candidacy for re-election as councilman of Ward 4 in the March 20 city elections.

Moran is completing his sixth term on the Seminole city council and serves as vice-mayor of the city. In a statement, Moran said “I feel that Seminole has made tremendous strides forward during the past decade. One of the principal reasons for this progress has been the cooperation between city officials, the Seminole Chamber of Commerce, the Seminole Industrial Foundation, public school and junior college officials, and civic leader. If elected, I will do everything I can to strengthen the spirit of cooperation and help Seminole progress.”

Moran attended elementary school in Seminole and later graduated from Tulsa Central High School and the University of Missouri with a BS degree in business administration. He served as a First Lt. in the U.S. Air Force before moving back to Seminole in 1953. He is manager of Moran Pipe and Supply Co. here.

In addition to his councilman duties, Moran serves on the Board of Directors For the Seminole Industrial Foundation, Seminole Industrial Corporation, and the First National Bank of Seminole. He is also a Trustee of the SJC Educational Foundation and the United Clay Pipe Trust. Moran is a member of the Seminole Rotary Club, the American Legion and the Oklahoma Heritage Association and is listed in “Who’s Who” in the South and Southwest.

The councilman candidate has served as president of the Seminole Chamber of Commerce, the Seminole Community Chest, and the Rotary Club. He headed the Miss Seminole Pageant for seven years, is a past board member of the Miss Oklahoma Pageant, and his writing talents took the spotlight in the 1972 Seminole Gridiron Show, a presentation in which he wrote the script.

Moran and his wife Jasmine, a native of London England, have two daughters and a son, Marilyn, a freshman at Purdue University, Elisa, a junior at Seminole High, and David, a fifth grade student at Roosevelt. -oOo Plans were finalized to present to Seminole the comedy, “Never Too Late,” when Seminole Arts Council convened Monday evening at Seminole Junior College. Mrs. W. L. Wantland was presiding officer. Auditions for the play were calendared for tonight beginning at 7 p.m. in the college faculty lounge. The play includes a cast of nine, six male and three female roles. In addition to cast personnel, others will be needed in stage management, makeup, lighting, wardrobe and set design.

Anyone wishing to try out for a part in the play or in other phases of theatre work are asked to attend. Persons do not have to be Arts Council members to attend auditions.

The humorous play will be directed by Miss Connye Clawson, JUCO faculty member. Mr. Ed Ramey is drama committee chairman for the Council. He reported on plans for the drama which will be presented as part of the Arts Council’s current program of activities and will be performed Friday, April 6, in conjunction with Seminole’s twoday Arts Festival.

Miss Clawson was a guest at the Council business session. Mrs. Baxter Hammons was elected Council Chairman to succeed Mrs. Wantland who resigned.

Next meeting of the council will be Monday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. at JUCO.

In addition to those named, attending were Mr. Don Gill, Mrs. Bob Roberson, Mrs. C. H. Stanfield and Mrs. John B. Townes. -oOo Cluttered Corner Prospects Dim For Our Area Tollpike By Milt Phillips A NEW FEASABILITY study for the Okemah-Wewoka- Ada-Sulphur-I-35 tollpike has been completed and the figures turned to Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

Former State Senator Allen G. Nichols sponsored the legislation authorizing the proposed tollpike through this area. The first studies indicated the tollpike would not pay for itself from tolls and also pay operating expenses.

Senator George Miller of Ada is quoted in area newspapers as saying he has it on good authority that the new feasibility study also shows the income would not be sufficient to pay off the bonds and pay operation of the pike.

Senator Miller suggests that perhaps the counties through which the pike would run (Okfuskee, Seminole, Pontotoc and Murray counties, we assume) could vote tax bonds and pay for right of ways and perhaps then the pike could pay out from tolls collected.

There are now some tollpikes not paying their way, but they have been “lumped in” with other paying pikes such as Turner Turnpike, and all together are carrying the bonds and paying for operation of all the pikes.

This kind of policy would preclude the state ever getting any of its tollpikes paid out and turned into tax-maintained roads. But maybe that is OK. Oklahoma moved ahead in its highway program by building tollpikes.

We’ve questioned whether we should continue to build the toll highways and making successful ones carry the unfeasible ones. But there is argument on both sides of the question.

Apparently Seminole county will not get a tollpike unless we desire to use some tax-paid bond money or wait and get our tollpike hooked up with those that make enough profit to pay for ours.