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Securing right-of-way for the Kickapoo Street reconstruction continues, and City Engineer John Krywicki is hoping he can give notice to proceed on utility relocation by the end of October.
He indicated the city still is on track where the Oklahoma Department of Transportation can let a bid possibly in early summer of 2010.
Krywicki explained that to date 52 parcels of the 81 needed have been secured.
The others remain unsecured, but 18 are moving closer to being secured, he said, leaving another 11 after those.
Before he can give notice to proceed for utility relocation, the city must have the parcels either signed or at least a right of entry to the property, he said Friday.
If any of the properties end up in condemnation, the city cannot proceed, he explained, until a court provides right of entry.
The 1.3 miles to be reconstructed begins at Kickapoo Spur on the south end of the project and stretches northward to about 200 feet beyond West MacArthur. The project is expected to cost more than $10 million.
ODOT has agreed to allocate $5 million for the project, the city has $4 million set aside, and nearly $1 million in federal funds were secured before then Congressman Ernest Istook left office in 2006.
Krywicki says the relocation of utilities involves OG&E, ONG, AT&T and Allegiance. Relocation of water lines is actually part of the construction itself, he said.
He pointed out that OG&E relocating its lines will take the longest of the utilities because of what is involved.
•••
Next year’s International Finals Youth Rodeo will be during the same week as this summer, but the Saturday finals apparently will change, almost assuredly to a morning performance rather than in the afternoon.
Prompting the change is the National High School Finals Rodeo next year will be in Gillette, Wyo. Mike Jackson, operations manager at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, said it’s at least a 16-hour drive from Shawnee and that holding the IFYR Saturday finals at 2 p.m. doesn’t allow enough time for contestants here who are also going to there to compete.
Contestants competing in the NHSFR are expected to be checked in by noon on Sunday, the day after our IFYR finishes on Saturday afternoon.
The last two years the NHSFR has been held in Farmington, N.M. Jackson has worked it out with the NHSRA officials to allow contestants competing in our Saturday finals to have an additional three hours to check in there.
He believes the same arrangement can continue for those contestants going from here to Gillette next year, but still more time is needed even with the three-hour extension.
Shawnee Civic and Cultural Development Authority members agreed this week with Jackson, noting that good faith is needed here to continue that arrangement with the NHSRA officials.
Jackson tossed out the possibilities of either starting next year’s IFYR on Sunday night or having a Saturday morning finals instead of Saturday afternoon.
He said if the initial performance were held on Sunday evening check-in would probably need to begin on Thursday.
SCCDA members were sensitive to the hundreds of volunteers, though, indicating starting check-in on Thursday, with a Sunday night performance and finishing Friday night would be too much of an imposition on the volunteers. And Jackson and the Authority members emphasized the rodeo would be impossible without the volunteers.
Consensus of the Authority members was to move the finals to Saturday morning, probably beginning around 10.
That would be four hours earlier than normal, and with three additional hours afforded the contestants competing in the finals here would make it possible for those going on to Gillette to make it there on time.
SCCDA Chairman Karl Kozel mentioned the Saturday morning finals also might draw a larger crowd due to cooler weather.
Member Carl Packwood added “Mike should make whatever changes are necessary to accommodate the kids for the NHSFR.”
Jackson indicated later in the afternoon he should know something early next week after visiting with NHSRA official Kent Sturman.
•••
The Central Oklahoma Friends of the NRA (National Rifle Association) will hold its fourth annual dinner and auction at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, 1899 S Gordon Cooper, Sept. 3, beginning at 6 p.m. It won’t be held at the CPN Festival Grounds, Reunion Hall North, which was the information previously provided to me about the event.
Jack Barrett, committee chairman, notes the auction raises money for 4H, FFA and Boy Scout youth shooting programs.
The NRA provided more than $230,000 in grants just in Oklahoma during 2008, Barrett said.
Registration will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner around 7 and the auction starting around 8. Dinner tickets are $25 for adults, and for children under 12 it’s $10.
Barrett said tickets are available for sale Monday through Friday, 9-5, at BDC Arms and Ammunition, 1210 Gordon Cooper, Shawnee, 405-273-9554. That’s in the BDC office building just across the Canadian River Bridge.
For more information, to make reservations and to secure tickets, contact Hal Henry, treasurer, either at 275-4272 or 388-0210 or e-mail shamus4270@sbcglobal.net.
Contributions to the NRA Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowed by federal income tax laws.
•••
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.
Securing right-of-way for the Kickapoo Street reconstruction continues, and City Engineer John Krywicki is hoping he can give notice to proceed on utility relocation by the end of October.
He indicated the city still is on track where the Oklahoma Department of Transportation can let a bid possibly in early summer of 2010.
Krywicki explained that to date 52 parcels of the 81 needed have been secured.
The others remain unsecured, but 18 are moving closer to being secured, he said, leaving another 11 after those.
Before he can give notice to proceed for utility relocation, the city must have the parcels either signed or at least a right of entry to the property, he said Friday.
If any of the properties end up in condemnation, the city cannot proceed, he explained, until a court provides right of entry.
The 1.3 miles to be reconstructed begins at Kickapoo Spur on the south end of the project and stretches northward to about 200 feet beyond West MacArthur. The project is expected to cost more than $10 million.
ODOT has agreed to allocate $5 million for the project, the city has $4 million set aside, and nearly $1 million in federal funds were secured before then Congressman Ernest Istook left office in 2006.
Krywicki says the relocation of utilities involves OG&E, ONG, AT&T and Allegiance. Relocation of water lines is actually part of the construction itself, he said.
He pointed out that OG&E relocating its lines will take the longest of the utilities because of what is involved.
•••
Next year’s International Finals Youth Rodeo will be during the same week as this summer, but the Saturday finals apparently will change, almost assuredly to a morning performance rather than in the afternoon.
Prompting the change is the National High School Finals Rodeo next year will be in Gillette, Wyo. Mike Jackson, operations manager at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, said it’s at least a 16-hour drive from Shawnee and that holding the IFYR Saturday finals at 2 p.m. doesn’t allow enough time for contestants here who are also going to there to compete.
Contestants competing in the NHSFR are expected to be checked in by noon on Sunday, the day after our IFYR finishes on Saturday afternoon.
The last two years the NHSFR has been held in Farmington, N.M. Jackson has worked it out with the NHSRA officials to allow contestants competing in our Saturday finals to have an additional three hours to check in there.
He believes the same arrangement can continue for those contestants going from here to Gillette next year, but still more time is needed even with the three-hour extension.
Shawnee Civic and Cultural Development Authority members agreed this week with Jackson, noting that good faith is needed here to continue that arrangement with the NHSRA officials.
Jackson tossed out the possibilities of either starting next year’s IFYR on Sunday night or having a Saturday morning finals instead of Saturday afternoon.
He said if the initial performance were held on Sunday evening check-in would probably need to begin on Thursday.
SCCDA members were sensitive to the hundreds of volunteers, though, indicating starting check-in on Thursday, with a Sunday night performance and finishing Friday night would be too much of an imposition on the volunteers. And Jackson and the Authority members emphasized the rodeo would be impossible without the volunteers.
Consensus of the Authority members was to move the finals to Saturday morning, probably beginning around 10.
That would be four hours earlier than normal, and with three additional hours afforded the contestants competing in the finals here would make it possible for those going on to Gillette to make it there on time.
SCCDA Chairman Karl Kozel mentioned the Saturday morning finals also might draw a larger crowd due to cooler weather.
Member Carl Packwood added “Mike should make whatever changes are necessary to accommodate the kids for the NHSFR.”
Jackson indicated later in the afternoon he should know something early next week after visiting with NHSRA official Kent Sturman.
•••
The Central Oklahoma Friends of the NRA (National Rifle Association) will hold its fourth annual dinner and auction at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, 1899 S Gordon Cooper, Sept. 3, beginning at 6 p.m. It won’t be held at the CPN Festival Grounds, Reunion Hall North, which was the information previously provided to me about the event.
Jack Barrett, committee chairman, notes the auction raises money for 4H, FFA and Boy Scout youth shooting programs.
The NRA provided more than $230,000 in grants just in Oklahoma during 2008, Barrett said.
Registration will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner around 7 and the auction starting around 8. Dinner tickets are $25 for adults, and for children under 12 it’s $10.
Barrett said tickets are available for sale Monday through Friday, 9-5, at BDC Arms and Ammunition, 1210 Gordon Cooper, Shawnee, 405-273-9554. That’s in the BDC office building just across the Canadian River Bridge.
For more information, to make reservations and to secure tickets, contact Hal Henry, treasurer, either at 275-4272 or 388-0210 or e-mail shamus4270@sbcglobal.net.
Contributions to the NRA Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowed by federal income tax laws.
•••
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.
