U. S. Congresswoman Mary Fallin will be the featured speaker at a joint Shawnee/Tecumseh legislative luncheon at noon, Friday, May 1, at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, 1899 S. Gordon Cooper Drive. Lunch is $10 for Chamber members, $12 for non-members, and must be reserved in advance. Please call the Chamber, 273-6092, to register.
Nancy Keith, president and CEO of the Greater Shawnee Area Chamber of Commerce, says “the Tecumseh caterer requires we pay for the total number of reservations we make.” To make sure you have a meal please RSVP to nkeith@shawneechamber.com as soon as possible or call the chamber at 405-273-6092.
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Shawnee’s Community Service Contracts Review Committee has scheduled a session for Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in city hall. The meeting will be held in the Emergency Operations Center in the basement.
One item is listed on the agenda and that is consideration of renewal of the contract with Downtown Shawnee, Inc., for FY 2009-2010.
The committee met March 30 to consider the downtown group’s contract along with the contracts of several other non-profit organizations. Regarding Downtown Shawnee, the committee had several questions about the organization’s budget and membership drive and asked that more information be provided.
The Downtown board has held several meetings since then in preparation for Thursday’s contract review.
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Tom Terry passes along this bit of information, encouraging our local citizens so spruce up their homes and around their businesses. He says that Shawnee will have many visitors during the month of May and the summer months that follow. He points out that folks will come for Mother’s Day, college graduations, high school graduations, dog shows, the rodeo, and many other events between now and throughout the summer.
Tom notes that earlier this month Shawnee sponsored the annual Clean-up event for citizens to get rid of large items of trash. He thinks now is the time to pay attention to the details so that “we will have a clean and neat community for our visitors. The period from May 2 through May 9 would be an excellent time to give attention to this need,” he adds.
He says “Company’s Coming” is the theme of the Great American Cleanup sponsored by the Beautification Committee of the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce. “As a starting point, businesses and homeowners should survey their property to see what potential customers, visitors, and neighbors see. Perhaps standing across the street and taking a few photographs will help in making a list of what needs to be done,” he said.
Tom contends businesses could be rewarded with more customers if their facilities, including their parking areas, are neat and attractive. He says university research has shown that customers respond positively to attractive and well-landscaped businesses. They see this as an indication that they will receive good service and find quality merchandise there.
There are several ways to keep weed seeds from germinating in planting beds. For an organic solution, he recommends trying a fertilizer containing corn gluten. The Downtown Shawnee volunteers have placed this product in some of the beds on Bell Street downtown.
Peeling paint, torn awnings, loose shutters, and overgrown shrubs are conditions that should be corrected while the weather is pleasant. “The photograph of your property will help you identify areas that need attention,” he said.
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This is another reminder about the bean supper and bake sale to benefit Tiffany Whittington scheduled for Friday, May 1, at the New Beginnings Church, from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
It will be all you can eat beans, cornbread and dessert with entertainment to be provided.
Coordinators of the event also indicated desserts will be available for purchase at the bake sale.
Lisa Pendleton, at Century 21 Golden Key, tells me someone has donated a homemade quilt for the bean supper. The tickets will be $2 each or 3 for $5.
Tickets are available at the Century 21 Golden Key office and at the door on May 1.
All donations are going to help with treatment costs of Whittington’s stem cell transplant at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas.
The church is located two blocks east of North Harrison on East 42nd Street in Shawnee.
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Shawnee’s annual Outdoor Camp for Middle School seventh graders is scheduled for Friday, May 1.
It’s being held at the same place at the Shawnee Twin Lakes, but this year’s camp has a new pavilion and the site is being initiated as the newly established Kiwanis Park.
Dr. Joe Taron and State Game Warden Mike France are heading up the camp, along with Middle School teacher Linda Hazelwood. Dr. Taron tells me that members of the Kiwanis Club’s executive committee will be on hand Friday to join campers for lunch and Kiwanians are being honored for their assistance.
Dr. Taron said Kiwanians contributed $14,000 for the park, and it will be available for use by other groups.
France said about 20 game wardens and other personnel with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, along with volunteers from the Shawnee Twin Lakes Association, parents and several OBU students will assist with the camp which begins around 9 a.m. and will conclude by 2:30 that afternoon.
He said if it should rain, the makeup day will be Monday, May 4, and if for some reason the weather doesn’t cooperate on that day, then something will be planned for students before the school year ends.
One of the added attractions this year will be the presentation of a falconer from the Oklahoma Falconers Association. He will have with him a female golden eagle. “They will be able to realize how big these birds really are,” he said.
T-shirts will be handed out to the 255 campers at the school that morning so they can change and wear those shirts during the camp.
Campers will also enjoy fishing, shooting shotguns at clay targets, archery shooting, a nature walk and a Mountain Man Recreation by Omar Reed.
France says there will be prizes for two top archery shooters, one for a girl, another for the boy, a plaque for the top shotgun shooter and plaques for the smallest fish and the largest fish caught.
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If you have ideas or something of interest for this column, call 214-3922 or e-mail michael.mccormick@news-star.com. Include name and phone number for contact purposes.
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
