Shawnee Utility Director Jim Bierd brought some positive news to Monday night’s city commission meeting. During administrative reports, Bierd advised since the second week of July the city of Shawnee has been using water solely from Wes Watkins Reservoir and the city has been in compliance with TOC requirements as required by the Department of Environmental Quality.
He and City Manager Brian McDougal pointed to the achievement during one of the most difficult times of the year to treat water, the hottest part of the summer months. Bierd said “it’s worked well and that’s good news.”
He mentioned he hasn’t received any more calls than normal at this time of year about the water.
In mentioning to McDougal on Tuesday before he spoke to Shawnee Rotarians, I told him I wondered how the Twin Lakes water level has stayed as full as it has during the dry part of the summer and he indicated it was due to pulling water all these five weeks from only Wes Watkins.
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When Shawnee’s Civic and Cultural Development Authority meets on Thursday, members will consider whether to change performance dates and times of the International Finals Youth Rodeo for 2010.
Mike Jackson, operations director at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, said the rodeo will take place during the same week all right, but the performances might start a day earlier or the Saturday finals might change a bit.
He indicated the National High School Finals Rodeo, which usually is right behind the IFYR, will be in Gillette, Wyo. in 2010. The past couple of years it’s been in Farmington, N.M.
Jackson said that for the past two years an arrangement has been made with the National High School Rodeo Association to allow the contestants who are in the Saturday afternoon finals of our IFYR more time to check in at Farmington.
As long as they were checked in there within three hours of their noon deadline on the Sunday after the IFYR concluded here Saturday, they were OK, he said.
But holding the finals here at 2 p.m. on Saturday, even with an extra three hours granted those contestants, he thinks would make it extremely difficult for them to make it to Gillette in time.
So, the SCCDA will discuss that on Thursday beginning at 12:30 p.m. in their monthly meeting at the conference center at the Expo. The agenda item does allow the board to take action should members want to make a decision. The meeting is open to the public.
Board members also are expected to go into executive session to discuss employee pay during the IFYR.
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The Central Oklahoma Friends of the NRA (National Rifle Association) will hold its fourth annual dinner and auction at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Sept. 3, beginning at 6 p.m. The event will be held at the Festival Ground and Reunion Hall north.
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.
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.
•••
Tina Lowery, director of the Central Oklahoma Transit System, passes along this information about ridership on the COTS.
She pointed out ridership on the COTS has increased 40 percent in April over the same month one year ago.
In April 2009, COTS provided 1,619 rides, compared to 1,161 rides in April 2008. She stated, “our staff members enjoy working with the public, and will continue to put their needs first.”
COTS is a program of Central Oklahoma Community Action Agency (COCAA), a non-profit organization that provides a variety of services in six counties.
COCAA’s mission is to help individuals and families cope with emergencies and become self-sufficient. COCAA is governed by a 12-member volunteer board of directors.
COTS operates demand response transportation services in Pottawatomie County. The service is open to the public, and children under 12 ride free. COTS has recently extended its hours form 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Cost for rides within the Shawnee city limits is $3 each way.
Rides outside the Shawnee city limits are based on mileage. COTS also provides medical related rides from Pottawatomie County to limited areas in Cleveland, Oklahoma, and Seminole counties. The cost of these rides also depends on mileage.
In April this year, at COCAA’s annual meeting, all COTS team members received a Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for their dedication and hard work, Lowery said.
Lowery received the leadership award, which is given to only one employee at COCAA each year.
She said with assistance from stimulus funds, COTS expects to double its fleet by the end of 2009.
This will allow COTS to provide more rides to the public, and create more jobs in the community for drivers and office assistance.
For any information please call (405)-273-3000.
•••
Sac and Fox Nation Principal Chief George Thurman says the annual Governing Council meeting will be Saturday, Aug. 29, at 10 a.m.
The meeting will be held in the Community Building at the Sac and Fox Nation Capitol Grounds, six miles south of Stroud, on SH-99/377.
For additional information please contact tribal Secretary Gwen McCormick Wilburn at 918-968-3526.
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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.
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Shawnee Utility Director Jim Bierd brought some positive news to Monday night’s city commission meeting. During administrative reports, Bierd advised since the second week of July the city of Shawnee has been using water solely from Wes Watkins Reservoir and the city has been in compliance with TOC requirements as required by the Department of Environmental Quality.
He and City Manager Brian McDougal pointed to the achievement during one of the most difficult times of the year to treat water, the hottest part of the summer months. Bierd said “it’s worked well and that’s good news.”
He mentioned he hasn’t received any more calls than normal at this time of year about the water.
In mentioning to McDougal on Tuesday before he spoke to Shawnee Rotarians, I told him I wondered how the Twin Lakes water level has stayed as full as it has during the dry part of the summer and he indicated it was due to pulling water all these five weeks from only Wes Watkins.
•••
When Shawnee’s Civic and Cultural Development Authority meets on Thursday, members will consider whether to change performance dates and times of the International Finals Youth Rodeo for 2010.
Mike Jackson, operations director at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, said the rodeo will take place during the same week all right, but the performances might start a day earlier or the Saturday finals might change a bit.
He indicated the National High School Finals Rodeo, which usually is right behind the IFYR, will be in Gillette, Wyo. in 2010. The past couple of years it’s been in Farmington, N.M.
Jackson said that for the past two years an arrangement has been made with the National High School Rodeo Association to allow the contestants who are in the Saturday afternoon finals of our IFYR more time to check in at Farmington.
As long as they were checked in there within three hours of their noon deadline on the Sunday after the IFYR concluded here Saturday, they were OK, he said.
But holding the finals here at 2 p.m. on Saturday, even with an extra three hours granted those contestants, he thinks would make it extremely difficult for them to make it to Gillette in time.
So, the SCCDA will discuss that on Thursday beginning at 12:30 p.m. in their monthly meeting at the conference center at the Expo. The agenda item does allow the board to take action should members want to make a decision. The meeting is open to the public.
Board members also are expected to go into executive session to discuss employee pay during the IFYR.
•••
The Central Oklahoma Friends of the NRA (National Rifle Association) will hold its fourth annual dinner and auction at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Sept. 3, beginning at 6 p.m. The event will be held at the Festival Ground and Reunion Hall north.
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.
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.
•••
Tina Lowery, director of the Central Oklahoma Transit System, passes along this information about ridership on the COTS.
She pointed out ridership on the COTS has increased 40 percent in April over the same month one year ago.
In April 2009, COTS provided 1,619 rides, compared to 1,161 rides in April 2008. She stated, “our staff members enjoy working with the public, and will continue to put their needs first.”
COTS is a program of Central Oklahoma Community Action Agency (COCAA), a non-profit organization that provides a variety of services in six counties.
COCAA’s mission is to help individuals and families cope with emergencies and become self-sufficient. COCAA is governed by a 12-member volunteer board of directors.
COTS operates demand response transportation services in Pottawatomie County. The service is open to the public, and children under 12 ride free. COTS has recently extended its hours form 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Cost for rides within the Shawnee city limits is $3 each way.
Rides outside the Shawnee city limits are based on mileage. COTS also provides medical related rides from Pottawatomie County to limited areas in Cleveland, Oklahoma, and Seminole counties. The cost of these rides also depends on mileage.
In April this year, at COCAA’s annual meeting, all COTS team members received a Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for their dedication and hard work, Lowery said.
Lowery received the leadership award, which is given to only one employee at COCAA each year.
She said with assistance from stimulus funds, COTS expects to double its fleet by the end of 2009.
This will allow COTS to provide more rides to the public, and create more jobs in the community for drivers and office assistance.
For any information please call (405)-273-3000.
•••
Sac and Fox Nation Principal Chief George Thurman says the annual Governing Council meeting will be Saturday, Aug. 29, at 10 a.m.
The meeting will be held in the Community Building at the Sac and Fox Nation Capitol Grounds, six miles south of Stroud, on SH-99/377.
For additional information please contact tribal Secretary Gwen McCormick Wilburn at 918-968-3526.
•••
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.
