By AP
Hobart, OK – Franks helping transform small SW Oklahoma town
HOBART, Okla. (AP) Retired U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks is leading a three-day Celebration of Freedom over Memorial Day weekend in the small southwestern Oklahoma town of Hobart, the latest sign of his effect on his adopted hometown.
Franks took up residence near Hobart after retiring as the commander of U.S. Central Command in July 2003. His Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum is one of the city's new attractions.
The economic impact of Franks' efforts to help Hobart, which has about 4,000 residents, is huge in the eyes of Mayor Tom Talley. The institute and museum opened in 2008 and transformed a complete city block, converting an empty downtown building into a thriving business.