Dwight Cope: Medicine Park's Motorcycle Mayor - OKIE Magazine

Dwight Cope:
Mayor on a Motorcycle
by Tammie Ward-Sunday
Dwight Cope, was born in
Georgia, raised in Altus, Oklahoma
and eventually landed his
motorcycle in Medicine
Park, OK.
While still
a child,
Dwight’s
dad would
take his
family on trips
to Kentucky
to visit his
grandmother.
On the way back
to Altus his dad
would drive the
route of Highway
49 while Dwight
pressed his nose
to the car window
gazing upon the
small cobblestone
town of MP.
Dwight’s curiosity
of the cobblestone
village could not be
entertained, it had to
be experienced.
Dwight has lived in
MP for 21 years. Most
of his adult life has
been dedicated to the
rebirth of what he once
considered a dirty, little,
lost town. He and some of his
friends took their own vehicles,
used their own equipment and
the venture of cleaning up what he
believed could be a place to raise
his children. His dreams led him to
MP and for the last seven years,
he has organized
many needed
and wanted attractions.
The road to being mayor started
on the Planning and Preservation
Committee and ended up on the
Town Board. The Board appointed
him to the Mayor position in April,
2005. Many changes have taken
place over the last few years which
have enhanced exactly what
Dwight had in his mind. He built
a stage in the middle of town with
the help of his friends who shared
the same interest. He changed the
sleeping settlement into a swinging
arena for artists and entertainers.
One might say, “He brought life
back into the town”.
When Dwight became Mayor, he
seized the position with pride. His
dream was to create and maintain
a community where he could
form a clean, safe environment
for his children to live. He had a
vision to enhance the existing
unique village persona while
incorporating entertainment.
He is living his dream.
Interest of entertainers
is growing because of
the town’s newly formed
attractions. The 6th annual
Mayor’s Blues Ball proves
to be a success as phone
calls come from bands
across Oklahoma,
Texas and surrounding
states wanting a
chance to entertain
the growing number
of people attending
the event. Dwight
seldom disappoints
by turning a band or
entertainer away from
a “Gig”. MP is the
host of the annual
Mayor’s Blues Ball,
Red Dirt Festival,
Park Stomp, Flute
Festival and other types
of entertainment throughout the
entire year. Currently there is talk
of a Barbeque contest in the near
future. Booth space for vendors,
along with other information about
the area, can be viewed at www.
medicinepark.com. Some of the
vendors also furnish entertainment
as noticed last year as a merchant
woman was twirling several hula
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