This year’s United Way campaign will take on a little bit different flair. Casey Bell is drive chairman and already he has started forming a Young Leaders Society, a new twist to the effort this year.
The initial event for the Young Leaders group Thursday evening drew nearly 30 people under the age of 40.
This year’s United Way Days of Caring are scheduled for Aug. 26-28, and the formal kickoff is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, beginning at 4 p.m. at the conference center at the Expo. It will be a karaoke kickoff, and seven people have been chosen to be the lead karaoke singers, who are expected to bring others with them.
The seven include Chuck Skillings, Unity Health Center, Mike Shaw, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Barbara Morrow, ExxonMobil, Jimmy Gibson, Shawnee’s fire chief, Mayor Linda Peterson, Richard Finley, Finley and Cook CPA’s, and Jim Stuart, local attorney.
And, there is even an additional twist to these seven joining in the effort to help take the lead for this year’s campaign.
Each of their faces will be pictured on seven canisters to be placed at six locations beginning Aug. 28 and running through Sept. 11. The six locations are Unity Health Center, Finley and Cook CPAs, Exxon Mobil, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Arvest Bank and BancFirst.
At noon on Friday, Sept. 11, the canisters will be collected, although the collections from those canisters will be reported on Sept. 3 and Sept. 10. This effort will kick start the campaign prior to the major kickoff Sept. 17.
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The Vietnam Moving Wall is coming to Shawnee this week. In connection with the wall coming here, the News-Star will include a special Vietnam Commemorative section in our Friday, Aug. 21 edition.
David Boardman, commander of the Disabled American Veterans, provides this information on the schedule.
Wednesday, Aug. 19— The veterans celebration will be held at Woodland Veterans Park and will include the flag retirement ceremony and lighting of the flame for the wall. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation will present colors and perform the ceremony for flag retirement, which includes burning the flag. Anyone can take their flag to be retired
Thursday, Aug. 20— Several motorcycle groups will escort The Moving Wall, beginning at 10 a.m. from the LaQuinta Inn, down Harrison Street, west on Main Street to Broadway, then north on Broadway to Woodland Veterans Memorial Park. The procession from the hotel is expected to include a number of motorcycles and veterans. Boardman is encouraging businesses and individuals to “fly their flags” to say thanks to the veterans, no matter what war or when they served.
He said people forget to come out and honor veterans and he would like to see that support.
Friday, Aug. 21-Monday, Aug. 24—The Moving Wall will be available 24 hours a day, ending the afternoon of Aug. 24.
•••
A reader from Tecumseh wrote me this week, saying he supported our editorial last Sunday on consolidation of schools. He said “I agree with your assessment of the dependent districts, but as most people of Shawnee you think of only Shawnee School District. My daughter’s graduating class at Tecumseh High School consisted of approximately 1/3 South Rock Creek graduates. Shawnee, Tecumseh, Dale and Earlsboro have to educate students from the dependent districts. This problem has long been on my mind. The Tecumseh School District has been paying on high school bond issues since the 60’s.
“The problem will not be solved at the local level,” he continued, “until it is resolved at the state level and all dependent districts are consolidated to independent districts. As you know, representatives of areas with small districts don’t have the political courage to go for consolidation.
“Why should Grove, South Rock Creek, North Rock Creek and Pleasant Grove buy a cow when they can get the milk free,” he finished.
Obviously, his views are consistent with the editorial I authored for last Sunday’s issue. He is on target with his comments.
•••
Shawnee’s city commissioners will hear about funding options on Monday night during a presentation by John Waldo, of Oppenheim Financial.
And, I’m hearing that a discussion and possible action regarding renewal or nonrenewal of the city’s lease with the Commissioners of the Land Office on Shawnee Lake No. 1 may bring a crowd to city hall for Monday night’s meeting.
It begins at 6:30 p.m. in the commission chambers of city hall, and is open to the public.
•••
In February of this year, the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth assisted in forming a Community Partnership Board for Pottawatomie County. Composed of local citizens and service providers, the purpose of the board is to collaboratively plan and implement programs and services that benefit children, youth and families in our community.
Jennifer Creecy, a Juvenile Justice Specialist with the Office Of Juvenile Affairs, Juvenile Services Unit in Pottawatomie County, says “We invite you to join in identifying the concerns facing our children, youth and families and participating in solutions for those challenges.”
A meeting and informal luncheon for this planning process is scheduled from noon until 1:30 p.m. on August 17 at 1414 N. Kennedy, Suite 107, in Shawnee. (Doctors building on the corner of Kennedy and Independence. Enter on the north side of the building.)
To let RSVP, please call Creecy at 405-275-3219.
•••
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.
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This year’s United Way campaign will take on a little bit different flair. Casey Bell is drive chairman and already he has started forming a Young Leaders Society, a new twist to the effort this year.
The initial event for the Young Leaders group Thursday evening drew nearly 30 people under the age of 40.
This year’s United Way Days of Caring are scheduled for Aug. 26-28, and the formal kickoff is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, beginning at 4 p.m. at the conference center at the Expo. It will be a karaoke kickoff, and seven people have been chosen to be the lead karaoke singers, who are expected to bring others with them.
The seven include Chuck Skillings, Unity Health Center, Mike Shaw, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Barbara Morrow, ExxonMobil, Jimmy Gibson, Shawnee’s fire chief, Mayor Linda Peterson, Richard Finley, Finley and Cook CPA’s, and Jim Stuart, local attorney.
And, there is even an additional twist to these seven joining in the effort to help take the lead for this year’s campaign.
Each of their faces will be pictured on seven canisters to be placed at six locations beginning Aug. 28 and running through Sept. 11. The six locations are Unity Health Center, Finley and Cook CPAs, Exxon Mobil, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Arvest Bank and BancFirst.
At noon on Friday, Sept. 11, the canisters will be collected, although the collections from those canisters will be reported on Sept. 3 and Sept. 10. This effort will kick start the campaign prior to the major kickoff Sept. 17.
•••
The Vietnam Moving Wall is coming to Shawnee this week. In connection with the wall coming here, the News-Star will include a special Vietnam Commemorative section in our Friday, Aug. 21 edition.
David Boardman, commander of the Disabled American Veterans, provides this information on the schedule.
Wednesday, Aug. 19— The veterans celebration will be held at Woodland Veterans Park and will include the flag retirement ceremony and lighting of the flame for the wall. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation will present colors and perform the ceremony for flag retirement, which includes burning the flag. Anyone can take their flag to be retired
Thursday, Aug. 20— Several motorcycle groups will escort The Moving Wall, beginning at 10 a.m. from the LaQuinta Inn, down Harrison Street, west on Main Street to Broadway, then north on Broadway to Woodland Veterans Memorial Park. The procession from the hotel is expected to include a number of motorcycles and veterans. Boardman is encouraging businesses and individuals to “fly their flags” to say thanks to the veterans, no matter what war or when they served.
He said people forget to come out and honor veterans and he would like to see that support.
Friday, Aug. 21-Monday, Aug. 24—The Moving Wall will be available 24 hours a day, ending the afternoon of Aug. 24.
•••
A reader from Tecumseh wrote me this week, saying he supported our editorial last Sunday on consolidation of schools. He said “I agree with your assessment of the dependent districts, but as most people of Shawnee you think of only Shawnee School District. My daughter’s graduating class at Tecumseh High School consisted of approximately 1/3 South Rock Creek graduates. Shawnee, Tecumseh, Dale and Earlsboro have to educate students from the dependent districts. This problem has long been on my mind. The Tecumseh School District has been paying on high school bond issues since the 60’s.
“The problem will not be solved at the local level,” he continued, “until it is resolved at the state level and all dependent districts are consolidated to independent districts. As you know, representatives of areas with small districts don’t have the political courage to go for consolidation.
“Why should Grove, South Rock Creek, North Rock Creek and Pleasant Grove buy a cow when they can get the milk free,” he finished.
Obviously, his views are consistent with the editorial I authored for last Sunday’s issue. He is on target with his comments.
•••
Shawnee’s city commissioners will hear about funding options on Monday night during a presentation by John Waldo, of Oppenheim Financial.
And, I’m hearing that a discussion and possible action regarding renewal or nonrenewal of the city’s lease with the Commissioners of the Land Office on Shawnee Lake No. 1 may bring a crowd to city hall for Monday night’s meeting.
It begins at 6:30 p.m. in the commission chambers of city hall, and is open to the public.
•••
In February of this year, the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth assisted in forming a Community Partnership Board for Pottawatomie County. Composed of local citizens and service providers, the purpose of the board is to collaboratively plan and implement programs and services that benefit children, youth and families in our community.
Jennifer Creecy, a Juvenile Justice Specialist with the Office Of Juvenile Affairs, Juvenile Services Unit in Pottawatomie County, says “We invite you to join in identifying the concerns facing our children, youth and families and participating in solutions for those challenges.”
A meeting and informal luncheon for this planning process is scheduled from noon until 1:30 p.m. on August 17 at 1414 N. Kennedy, Suite 107, in Shawnee. (Doctors building on the corner of Kennedy and Independence. Enter on the north side of the building.)
To let RSVP, please call Creecy at 405-275-3219.
•••
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.
