The George Kaiser Family Foundation will present Family Promise of Shawnee a $15,000 donation at noon on Thursday, at San Remo’s Italian Restaurant in Shawnee. The donation will be used to support Family Promise’s mission to respond to the needs of homeless families in Shawnee.

It’s a few weeks away yet, but the annual Ducks Unlimited banquet and auction hosted by the Shawnee chapter is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in the north building on the pow-wow grounds.
Doors open at 6 p.m., the dinner begins at 7 and the auction is at 8. Tickets prices are $40 for single, which includes a year’s membership in Ducks Unlimited. Sponsorship costs $265.
The chapter officers heading up the annual fund raiser include Lance Wortham, Mark Schneiter, Jack Kinkade and Kyle Rosebure.

If you haven’t made reservations for Gov. Brad Henry’s visit to Shawnee on Nov. 10, a good time to do so is now. The deadline is next Monday, Nov. 2.
The governor will address a gathering at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center that day.

It was 42 years ago this month when I first traveled with my dad and some others to South Dakota to hunt pheasants. I had just begun my sophomore year at St. Gregory’s College (two-year then, now a university). Also, the month before, I had started working here at the News-Star, embarking on what has turned out to be a long term career.
That hunt was near the small community of Bonesteel.
Twenty years ago I returned to South Dakota, with John Patterson, Jim Bowles and some others, hunting near Huron, which natives said was the pheasant hunting capital of the world.
Last weekend, I made my third trek to South Dakota to enjoy pheasant hunting. I had the good fortune to join Terry West, his two sons Brad and Bart, along with Mark Schneiter and Steve Buoy, all from the Shawnee area.

Today is the deadline to make reservations for the annual planning session of the Greater Shawnee Area Chamber of Commerce. The day-long session is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29, at Remington Park in Oklahoma City in the Eclipse Suite.

Shawnee’s annual Spaghetti Day is Thursday, Oct. 22. Sponsored by the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, times are from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Salvation Army gym.

Shawnee’s Airport Advisory Board has approved a lease agreement with Allegiance Communications for space in the Army Reserve Building on Airport Drive.
Rex Hennen, assistant airport manager, told me that Allegiance will lease about 7,200 square feet of the facility, which for years housed a battalion of the 95th Division Army Reserve unit. A portion of the center is serving as the new home for the driver’s license examiner’s office operated by the state Department of Public Safety.

In case you missed it in my Wednesday column, Shawnee’s Trick or Treat night has been set for Saturday night, Oct. 31. Police Chief Russell Frantz says it will be from   5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., same as last year.
That is considered Halloween night. However, occasionally, in previous years, Trick or Treat has been set for a different evening. Several folks already have begun inquiring about this, and we will print it in future editions of the paper as well. It’s also listed on our Tri-County Community Calendar.

Bethel is hosting its annual Community Health Fair this Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Bethel United Methodist Church, 35500 Hardesty Road. It will be held in the church’s Christian Life Center beginning at 9 a.m. and lasting until 5 p.m.
It’s free and open to the public.

Shawnee’s city sales tax check for September was down more than 5 percent over the same month a year ago, and the amount for the fiscal year is off by about 1.59 percent.
The city’s check for this month totaled $1,281,234, which was $68,535 under the $1,349,769 received in September 2008.

The annual “March for Babies” is Saturday in Woodland Veterans Memorial Park. Registration begins 9:30 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m.
This year’s Ambassador child is Jagger “Jag” Allen Shirey, son of Brian and Cassandra Shirey of Tecumseh.

Shawnee’s annual “Tasty Affair” is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center. This is the Greater Shawnee Chamber of Commerce’s annual auction and it begins at 5 p.m. that evening with the wine reception and silent auction.
The cafes open at 6 with live auction beginning at 7 that evening. Chamber staff says if you were not contacted for a donation to showcase at the auction there is still time to be recognized by calling 273-6092 and the same number should be called to purchase tickets.

This deer story has a great ending. It was sent along to me by George Palmer, who, along with his wife Shirley, resides in the McLoud area.
“Last Wednesday (Sept. 2), about dark, I went to check on my baby chicks. I heard a thrashing noise toward the area of the woods. As I walked toward the sound, I saw eyes shining in the woods in two different directions. I then noticed a tree branch moving. When I got closer, I saw that a deer was caught in the fence and could not get free.

Bob Snelson, Shawnee, has to be one proud grandad. His grandson, Bo Snelson, who graduated in May from Memorial High School in Pasadena, Texas, is on the Navy football team this fall.
Bo is the son of John and Mandy Snelson. John is the head football coach at Memorial High School.

Shawnee’s Economic Development Foundation will hold two meetings this morning. The first one is the annual unit holders meeting beginning at 9 a.m. It will be followed by the Foundation’s monthly meeting scheduled to start around 9:30.

When Shawnee city commissioners meet Tuesday evening, it appears they may be there a while and some of the topics they will tackle most likely will bring a crowd.
The meeting is Tuesday night because of the Labor Day holiday Monday. It begins at 6:30 p.m., is in the council chambers and, of course, is open to the public.

Pottawatomie County’s Free Fair is scheduled for next week, Sept. 10-12, at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center. This year the County Fair reportedly has added a commercial booth competition for the best decorated booth. This year’s theme for the fair is “A Barnyard Blast.”
The prizes awarded will be free booth rent for next year’s County Fair and a first place plaque. Plaques for second and third place will be awarded as well.

Recently, I was elected to the Salvation Army Advisory Board of Directors. This past Saturday, we had a planning retreat, and during it I gleaned some information which shows the impact this non-profit agency has on this area. Majors Mike and Lori Barnhouse have been here for just about a year now.

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.