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Roses popular, easy to grow in Oklahoma
Roses are one of the most popular plants in Oklahoma gardens, and many are relatively easy to grow, especially the newer varieties like the Knock Out® rose. Roses offer color and fragrance in the garden, and many make wonderful cut flowers. If you have a garden, you should try your hand at growing roses!.
03/22/2012 | Comments 0From ‘Long Black Limousine’ to Elvis
That would change years later. For the next seven years, band members came and went. Finally, Black put together a group of musicians that have been with him for more than 20 years. They include guitarist Graham Pugh, bass player Rick Alongi, drummer Bob Gorley and keyboard player Phil Sapper, formerly of Harvey and the Wallbangers.
03/01/2012 | Comments 0Young artist generates new ideas for veterans memorial expansion
“This will not be done with any public money,” said Howe, an Air Force pilot who flew B-52s during the Vietnam war. “Each statue will cost $40,000, but this type of art puts us in a different realm. It will take us into the world of art, which opens new avenues for giving.
02/23/2012 | Comments 0Fleck and Flecktones to perform April 10 at Rose State
The extraordinary initial line-up of his incredible combo are touring to support their latest recording, “Rocket Science.
02/17/2012 | Comments 0Real Life
In my presentation, I told the club members about the importance of supporting their local newspaper. After all, we received numerous compliments about our publication and its new appearance, content and local ownership. In this business, compliments can be few and far between, so we enjoyed all of the positive remarks.
02/17/2012 | Comments 0‘General’-ly speaking
In fact, every night when he goes home, the general’s hat comes off – if only temporarily – and suddenly the commander of one of the most critical U.S. Air Force bases turns into father, husband, scuba diver and avid fan of New England sports teams..
02/10/2012 | Comments 0Longtime MWC fire department spokesman Jerry Lojka retires
Lojka spent 29 years at the Midwest City Fire Department and served in several roles, including firefighter, inspector, investigator, public education officer, public information officer and fire marshal.
His favorite job was that of department spokesman as he answered questions from the press, and conveyed important fire prevention tips to the public.
Real Life: Lojka will be missed at fire department
This week’s retirement of Midwest City Fire Marshal Jerry Lojka reminded
me how an effective and well-intentioned PIO does his job. During the
past 14 months I’ve discovered that he knows his job and he understands
the role reporters play in the world of news and information.
02/03/2012 | Comments 0MWC grad, Hudson to receive national awards
Midwest City School graduate Lester Claravall will receive the prestigious Lewis Hines Award for Service to Children and Youth during a ceremony in New York City on Monday.
The award will be presented by the National Child Labor Committee, which serves as the sponsor for the Lewis Hines awards...
Images of 2012 MLK Prayer Breakfast
Several hundred people attended Midwest City’s 15th annual Martin
Luther King, Jr., Prayer Breakfast Monday at the Sheraton Hotel’s Reed
Conference Center. Featured speakers were former state legislator Angela
Monson, Oklahoma City police officer Paco Balderamma and Midwest City
graduate and current University of Oklahoma student Rodney Farrow.
01/19/2012 | Comments 0
August 27th, 2010
Family security biz offers surveillance via smartphones
The Lay family of Choctaw has been helping home and business owners feel a little safer and more secure since 1959. With the third generation of the family in the security and alarm business, the company has moved into video surveillance options that allow customers to monitor their homes and businesses in real time from their computers and smartphones.
Bob Lay began the company. His son, Zeke Lay, took over in 1986 and named the company Comtec Electronic Communications Inc. In recent years, Zeke Lay has been joined in the family business by his sons, Nate and Cole Lay.
The company has humble roots that date back to when Bob Lay returned from his stint as a pilot in World War II. With more skilled pilots than jobs, Lay laid aside his captain's wings and began working for ADT in Oklahoma City. At that time, the company was making advances in security and fire protection and was growing rapidly.
Lay was looking for more wide open spaces and headed east with his family. They settled in Choctaw, and he opened his own ADT affiliate office. Zeke Lay said the security and alarm business was totally different back then. In the 1950s and early 1960s, a security system consisted of a metal foil tape applied around the edges of windows.
"In those days it was all tubes and relays," Zeke Lay said. "You basically ran an electrical circuit around a window, and when the burglar broke it, it triggered an alarm."
Bob Lay continued to grow his company and provided summer employment for his son. Zeke Lay graduated from Choctaw High School in 1972. He spent a year at East Central University, where he played baseball, before returning home and officially joining his father's company.
SOLO VENTURE
By the mid-1980s Zeke Lay was tired of being tied to large corporations like ADT and Honeywell. He decided to form Comtec.
"I started that out of thin air," he said. "I realized I could do this myself."
With several seasoned professionals and wife, Denna, at his side, Zeke Lay began his own foray into the security business.
Since that time, he has grown and expanded the business, but stayed true to his Choctaw roots. In recent years, the company has done work around the state and country. Notable local projects include the security system at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, ongoing work at the Ford Center, turnpike booths around the state and the practice facility used by the Oklahoma City Thunder when the team first came to town. Outside of the state, he has done the security systems for some of Oklahoma's marquee names now living in Nashville, Tenn.
As his children grew older, Zeke Lay provided his sons with summer work at the company. He had no expectations they would one day join the family business. Nate Lay went off to study art and graphic design at Oklahoma State University in Okmulgee, while Cole Lay joined the U.S. Army and was part of the group that captured Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
Both of Zeke Lays' sons are now working full-time for the company, which employs a staff of 14. Residents of Choctaw can expect to see members of the family at the helm of the business in the coming years.
"I plan to make a career out of this," Nate Lay said.
With his sons in place, Zeke Lay is looking to what's next in home and commercial security. One feature catching on in the residential sector is home cameras so a homeowner can watch the premises on their smartphones.
WITH OPTIONS
With the video option, home and business owners can not only keep an eye on things, but also have a record in the event of a burglary. That video can also be transmitted quickly to law enforcement.
In a world with a seemingly unending list of companies that provide alarms and security, Zeke Lay said what helps Comtec stand apart is that when a customer calls, they will always hear a familiar voice. They will not have to deal with someone halfway across the country. He said personal service has worked in the company's favor for both large scale and residential customers.
Now that three generations have helped run the business, Zeke Lay said it may not be what each of them had originally set out to do as a career, but all have found a reason to stay.
"It's kind of three generations of, 'Hey, why not,'" he said.
photo Nate Lay (left), Zeke Lay. Photo/Kelley Chambers
Bob Lay began the company. His son, Zeke Lay, took over in 1986 and named the company Comtec Electronic Communications Inc. In recent years, Zeke Lay has been joined in the family business by his sons, Nate and Cole Lay.
The company has humble roots that date back to when Bob Lay returned from his stint as a pilot in World War II. With more skilled pilots than jobs, Lay laid aside his captain's wings and began working for ADT in Oklahoma City. At that time, the company was making advances in security and fire protection and was growing rapidly.
Lay was looking for more wide open spaces and headed east with his family. They settled in Choctaw, and he opened his own ADT affiliate office. Zeke Lay said the security and alarm business was totally different back then. In the 1950s and early 1960s, a security system consisted of a metal foil tape applied around the edges of windows.
"In those days it was all tubes and relays," Zeke Lay said. "You basically ran an electrical circuit around a window, and when the burglar broke it, it triggered an alarm."
Bob Lay continued to grow his company and provided summer employment for his son. Zeke Lay graduated from Choctaw High School in 1972. He spent a year at East Central University, where he played baseball, before returning home and officially joining his father's company.
SOLO VENTURE
By the mid-1980s Zeke Lay was tired of being tied to large corporations like ADT and Honeywell. He decided to form Comtec.
"I started that out of thin air," he said. "I realized I could do this myself."
With several seasoned professionals and wife, Denna, at his side, Zeke Lay began his own foray into the security business.
Since that time, he has grown and expanded the business, but stayed true to his Choctaw roots. In recent years, the company has done work around the state and country. Notable local projects include the security system at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, ongoing work at the Ford Center, turnpike booths around the state and the practice facility used by the Oklahoma City Thunder when the team first came to town. Outside of the state, he has done the security systems for some of Oklahoma's marquee names now living in Nashville, Tenn.
As his children grew older, Zeke Lay provided his sons with summer work at the company. He had no expectations they would one day join the family business. Nate Lay went off to study art and graphic design at Oklahoma State University in Okmulgee, while Cole Lay joined the U.S. Army and was part of the group that captured Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
Both of Zeke Lays' sons are now working full-time for the company, which employs a staff of 14. Residents of Choctaw can expect to see members of the family at the helm of the business in the coming years.
"I plan to make a career out of this," Nate Lay said.
With his sons in place, Zeke Lay is looking to what's next in home and commercial security. One feature catching on in the residential sector is home cameras so a homeowner can watch the premises on their smartphones.
WITH OPTIONS
With the video option, home and business owners can not only keep an eye on things, but also have a record in the event of a burglary. That video can also be transmitted quickly to law enforcement.
In a world with a seemingly unending list of companies that provide alarms and security, Zeke Lay said what helps Comtec stand apart is that when a customer calls, they will always hear a familiar voice. They will not have to deal with someone halfway across the country. He said personal service has worked in the company's favor for both large scale and residential customers.
Now that three generations have helped run the business, Zeke Lay said it may not be what each of them had originally set out to do as a career, but all have found a reason to stay.
"It's kind of three generations of, 'Hey, why not,'" he said.
photo Nate Lay (left), Zeke Lay. Photo/Kelley Chambers
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