Each Cup Fastidiously Made

One enters the rather small and dim lit hole in the wall in downtown Stillwater to a warm welcoming that brings them back.
Aspen Coffee Co. is located at 111 W. Seventh Street. One walks in to the coffee shop and gets kindly greeted by a couple of friendly baristas, eager to serve whoever needs a great cup of coffee or a delicious bagel or pastry. Since opening in 1994, it has become a spot for friends to meet, people to hang out and students to study. Its success over the years has led to expansion.
“Aspen Coffee is basically defined by its people. While its coffee is indubitably better than say Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, the things that truly set it apart are the friendliness of the baristas and the uniqueness of its clientele.” Frank Xie said.
The place has a laid back vibe. People are friendly year round. During the colder seasons, all the action stays inside. Here one will find students studying their evening away and socializing about the terrible classes they have, but also about the great things this world has to offer.
Once it warms up a bit, a few of the regulars take their spots in front of the shop at a couple sturdy metal tables and chairs. Next to the table is a large ash tray for all those people that love the good ol’ coffee-cigarette combo. The people who smoke don’t slow the business at all; in fact, the ones in front are the friendliest of them all. Practically knowing everyone that walks into Aspen, anyone could sit and talk to these guys for hours, or watch them play a game or two of backgammon. People perceive it to be one of the most liberal atmospheres in our growing college town.
Aspen Coffee Co. has not only been a prime study spot for students, but also a great hang out place for locals with little to nothing else to do. Frank Xie, a Stillwater native, has spent many hours inside this homey coffee shop. During these long, but enjoyable hours consuming unnecessary amounts of coffee, Frank does everything from studying for finals, to solving crosswords in the daily papers and reading the magazines that Aspen Coffee Co. has to offer. The high quality coffee and soft soothing music are big reasons to why people return to little coffee shop on seventh street, but even for Frank it’s the kind people of Aspen Coffee Co. that keep him going back.
Today, downtown Stillwater is quite different than it was just a few years ago. There are many small businesses and restaurants that have come and gone. Aspen Coffee Co. is one of the few that has kept it going strong from the start. Sales slow down during the summer, but they have shown no signs of closing down the shop with all the great business that is done during the school year. Patrick Clougherty is another resident of Stillwater that has enjoyed Aspen Coffee Co.’s gracious service, and good studying environment, for a number of years.
“I remember coming here for hot chocolate with my mom when I was younger. I didn’t like coffee at the time, but always hoped Aspen would still be around for when I was older and did like it. I now realize that it’s not going anywhere, and for that I’m thankful.” Patrick Clougherty said.
Aspen Coffee Co. has done so well in our college community that they’ve opened two other stores in Stillwater since the first. One is in the Lakeview Pointe shopping center on Perkins Road and the other is in Fountain Square on Western Road.
It is highly recommended that one stops by one of the three locations to experience the delicious locally roasted coffee and the charming costumer service of Aspen Coffee Co.

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Reece Van Haaften Feature

An Oklahoma State University student, from many places, has a dream to be a Yankee.
Brian Reece Van Haaften, who goes by Reece, is a sports media major who hopes to be the announcer for the New York Yankees someday.
To Reece, unrealistic jobs don’t exist.
“No such thing. All goals are attainable,” Reece said.
Becoming an announcer for the Yankees isn’t an easy task. It took Michael Kay, the Yankees current play-by-play announcer, more than 10 years to earn the position, according to the New York Yankees’ MLB website.
Reece understands he will have to work hard to get noticed in the sports media world before he can achieve his goal.
“I see myself working my way up in the baseball announcer world, probably for working for a minor league affiliate,” Reece said.
Reece was born in Lincoln, Neb., in 1993, but has moved many times since then. His dream to be the Yankees play-by-play announcer started when he moved to Kalamazoo, Mich., in 2001.
“I lived in Kalamazoo, Mich., which is where New York Yankees starting shortstop, Derek Jeter, grew up. That is how I decided to become a Yankees fan, and ever since I’ve wanted to become their play-by-play announcer,” Reece said.
When Reece isn’t busy doing school work and pursuing his dream, he spends most of his time watching baseball and TV. He even plans to spend his future free time watching baseball games with the son he hopes to have.
With his love for the sport and dedication to reach the top in the sports media world, Reece is on the right track to reach his goal of becoming the Yankees play-by-play announcer.
One can’t become the Yankees play-by-play announcer overnight. It takes a college education, and typically announcers require a few years at a smaller market to work out the “kinks” of their on-air personalities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website.
It takes a good, confident speaker to be a live announcer. It also takes good credibility with the people listening.
Play-by-play announcers have to always tell the truth so the audience has confidence and trust in them. A lack of credibility means he or she is of no use to his or her audience, station or network, according to Jon Miller on American Sports Casters Online.
To start, an announcer’s salary isn’t anything impressive. In fact, the average announcer’s salary is around $33,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website.
Although Reece won’t be rich any time soon out of college, becoming a top 10 percent announcer can be well worth the wait and effort. The top 10 percent earn more than $70,000 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website.
It may take years of work and dedication, but it is the only job Reece desires to obtain. He is on the right track to success. Reece only has a few years left until being a graduate, and getting that much closer to his dream job of being the play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees.

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Court Case Story

: A Best Friend Killer
A man accused of beating his best friend to death was heard on Monday in the Payne County District Court at 9 a.m. under Judge Thomas.
Christopher Alden Dawes, 26 at the time of the incident, was arrested for probable cause of assault and battery on Oct. 28, 2012, at around 12:40 a.m. He is currently being charged with assault and battery by strangulation and first degree murder. He has yet to be sentenced.
The incident took place on the night of Oct. 27 at Dawes residence, 1017 S. Husband Street, after a night of drinking with his girlfriend Jasmine Lewis and his best friend Jeremy Sutherland. Dawes stated that Jasmine and he picked up Jeremy at 9 p.m. and went back to his house where they planned to drink and have a good time. Dawes claimed to have dozed off after half a pint of vodka and woke up to Jeremy and Jasmine getting intimate with each other. He said this angered him beyond belief, causing him to violently pull his girlfriend away from Jeremy and begin to beat him senseless. He stated that after hitting Jeremy in the head and upper body for several minutes, he dragged the barely moving body into his neighbor’s yard. Leaving the body for a moment, Dawes said he went back inside to change. Jasmine said once Dawes returned, he became violent toward her. She said he grabbed her and hit her, causing an injured arm, other minor cuts and bruises and choked her unconscious. Dawes claimed that he returned to his best friend’s body lying on the ground and his temper was everything but cooled. He admitted to beating him until he was no longer moving, stomping on him in the chin area, then kicked him in the side as he walked away to his truck.
“Pretty much like you would kick a soccer ball,” Dawes said.
Dawes stated that he drove away from the scene with the thought that he might have just killed his best friend crossing his mind. He said that he called his mother, who also lives on Husband, to check in on the situation once he was out of the area. Soon after the phone call was made, he said that he drove back into town to turn himself in.
In Monday’s hearing the defense made an effort to lessen Dawes first degree murder charge to first degree manslaughter.
Dawes’ next court appearance will be on May 22 at 9 a.m. led by Judge Corley.

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