Cherokee Queen Captain Helps in Rescue

Cherokee Queen Captain Terry Fowler had just returned home from piloting a Friday night cruise when he got an urgent phone call…there had been a bad boating accident south of Sailboat Bridge. Rushing back to Royal Bay Marina around 10:30 p.m., he was told by Randy Wacker, manager, to take a pontoon boat out to Weed Island to assist.
"It was very dark, but a GRDA lake patrolman was already on the scene and the GRDA helicopter was hovering overhead with a spotlight on the island," Fowler said. He had to wade through at least 20 feet of mud to get from the pontoon boat to the island. Three survivors, two females and one male, were loaded on his pontoon boat and taken back to Sailboat Bridge where ambulances and an EMS helicopter were waiting; Fowler made a second trip to bring in one additional surviving female.
Two deceased persons, identified by GRDA as Brent Johnson of Inola and Jennifer Beeson of Tulsa, were taken by GRDA to Royal Bay Marina.
Fowler believes the 25 foot Baja was heading from Patricia Island to Royal Bay going "at least 60 miles an hour" when it hit the mudflats surrounding Weed Island, the larger of the two islands in the middle of the lake south of Sailboat Bridge. The boat flipped over and two of the passengers, believed to be in the front, were trapped in the overturned boat.
An emergency cell phone call was made from a female underneath the boat to Grove Police, according to Chief Mark Wall. "She said she was trapped beneath a boat which had run upon land and she had no idea where they were," Wall said.
GRDA had just installed a warning light near Weed Island two weeks ago.
The boat was left on the island overnight and retrieved by GRDA lake patrol the next afternoon and towed to Shangri-La Marina. The engine was still in working order, Fowler was told.
Passengers taken to area hospitals included Stephanie Younce, 29, of Tulsa and Steve Harkal, 34 of Phoenix, Az, to Integris Grove General Hospital; they have since been released. Paul Barnett, 38, residence unknown, and Toyna Hayes of Oklahoma City, were taken by helicopter to Freeman Hospital in Joplin.
One of the survivors told Fowler that the group had been at Dripping Springs most of the day and were headed to Tara Miranda when they got lost in the darkness. Fowler said he observed the boat going back and forth in the evening, south of Sailboat Bridge, as he was piloting the Cherokee Queen's evening cruise.

Council Appoints new P&Z Members

The Grove City Council has named three new appointees to the Planning & Zoning Board.
Norma Halterman, longtime Grove resident and city council candidate earlier this year, was appointed effective immediately; Bob Brogden, also a council candidate earlier this year, and William A. Miller, Grove resident the past 10 years, will serve beginning Nov. 1. The action was taken at the regular council meeting Tuesday evening.
Bonnie Buzzard, City Clerk, was named Employee of the Month for her outstanding productivity and loyal service to the community.
In other action, the Council:
--Approved authorization to apply for a $2000 grant from the Cherokee Nation for Grove Police law enforcement training and equipment for cars.
--Approved a bid from the Kansas Highway Patrol for three Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors, all with less than 50,000 miles on them, and one Ford Crown Victoria Police Intercepter canine unit from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
--Approved donation of surplus equipment to the Delaware County Child Advocacy Center.
--Approved replatting lots 8,9, and 10 of the Patricia Island Estates Phase III subdivision to lots 8$,8A,8B,9R and 10R upon recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Board. This action was requested by the City Manager to clear up the issue of legal description for what is currently there. Three lots were divided up into 5 lots under the previous city administration and were never re-platted.
--Approved purchase of a new laptop computer from the State of Oklahoma for $2,929.01 for use by the city construction inspector. City Manager explained that everything the city owns, from pumps to street lights, is going on GPS and all of the new construction project data within the city such as utility relocations will be kept in the computer. The new computer will have 1.0 GM of memory and an Intel Pentium 750 processor.
--Tabled purchase of Liability Insurance for the Grove Municipal Airport Trust Authority and City Council pending receipt of more information from the City Treasurer.
--Approved the grant application to the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission and a low bid of $273,357 to apply a three inch asphalt cap on the parallel taxiway at Grove Municipal Airport, from Ellsworth Sealcoating.
--Approved authorization for the Mayor to sign a contract with Incode & Tyler Technologies for daily backup of the city's computers via FTP. Cost is $3,453 per year.
City Manager Bill Galletly thanked the community and GMSA employees for their action in repairing two pumps and electrical equipment damaged in a power surge last week. The surge took out two control panels for the pumps, which were "melted," even though they are on 440 volt circuits. Galletly also thanked volunteer workers in assembling materials which will be trucked this week to Texas for Katrina Relief.
In response to public comment from Dixie Wolfe regarding amending the current animal control Ordinance, City Manager Bill Galletly said he would look into setback requirements for the fence around property owner Paul Ruckman, who is keeping a horse on his yard inside the city limits. Mayor Nuckolls said that the next Planning & Zoning Board meeting would consider the issue of large animals inside the city limits and their recommendations would be taken up at the following city council meeting.

New Post Office Open or Not?

Postal employees were unable to determine if
the new Grove Post Office will be open next week
or not.
"We're told one thing and we're told another," said Richard Nottingham of the Grove Post Office. "We've been expecting to move each weekend for the past several weeks and something comes up and we don't move," he said.
Wheelchair ramps have been part of the problem as elevation levels did not meet the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Efforts to reach Postmaster Dave Wolek were unsuccessful, as to moving date.

Fall Book Sale Set

The Fall Book Sale by Friends of the Grove Public Library will be held Saturday, Sept. 24, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Grove Public Library is accepting book donations now. Donations should be brought to the library as soon as possible, said Marsha Tackett, President of Friends.The sale will be held in the usual place, the parking lot of Grand Savings Bank at the corner of Main and 11th Street. All donations are screened by the library, and materials the library can use are added to the library’s collection. The same applies to materials which might be useful in the genealogical collection. Donations are a major source of new genealogical books. Hundreds of best sellers of every variety are included in the book sale offerings in spite of the screening process. Every category of material is included in the sale from books to videos. There will be a large quantity of videos in this sale, according to Marcia Austin, library manager.Hard covers and videos sell for $1. Paperbacks and children's books are 25 cents. Prices are likely to get better in the last hour of the sale."We hope everyone with books to donate will get them to the library in the coming days,” said Marsha Tackket, president of Friends.
...from Correspondant Marsha Tackket

Playmakers Ready for Nunsense

The Playmakers join the fun on Pelican Festival weekend by presenting Meshuggah-Nuns: The Ecumenical Nunsense, funded with assistance from the Oklahoma Arts Council. This time the crazy nuns are on a cruise, trying to relax after a busy year. This version of the ever-popular Nunsense productions opens Friday, September 23 for a nine performance run. A special, optional, dessert may be added to your enjoyment for a small fee.
If you haven’t seen one of The Playmakers’ Nunsense productions, you are forgiven, and you can make amends. This may be your last chance to enjoy all the puns and antics of the wacky Little Sisters of Hoboken. If you have been lucky enough to see one or more, you’ll know that now is the time to call for reservations. In Meshuggah-Nuns, the Sisters are on the S.S. Golden Delicious, Apple of the Eden Line, for a Faith of All Nations cruise. You will laugh yourself silly watching these holy ladies perform as Mae West, Sophie Tucker, Shelly Winters, and the Andrews Sisters. There’s even a rousing take off on the Village People's Macho Man called Matzo Man.
The ship-board entertainment is Fiddler On The Roof, but a storm lays the cast of that production in their bunks, sea-sick, except for Howard, the actor playing Teyve. Fortunately, the Nuns have eaten their Dramamine brownies and, never passing up an opportunity to get in the lime-light, they team up with Howard in a Jewish-Catholic musical comedy which punctures stereotypes aplenty.
The original Playmaker cast is back: Linda DuBois as the Mother Superior, Sister Mary Regina; Pat Edmondson as Sister Mary Hubert; Lori Klickman as Sister Mary Robert; and Vicki King as Sister Mary Paul (Amnesia), complete with her smart-mouthed puppet, Sister Mary Annette. Making his debut in this production is Roy Harding as the actor Howard, playing Tevye.
Show dates and times are Fridays, Sept. 23 & 30 at 7:30 pm; Saturdays Sept. 24 at 7:30 and Saturday, Oct. 1, 2:00 and 7:30; Tuesday, Sept. 27 & Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7:30; Sundays, Sept. 25 and Oct 2 at 2:00. Adult tickets are $10 and students(K–12), $5.00. The special dessert is only $2.50 extra. Beverages are provided by Java Dave’s without charge.
Reservations are encouraged as seating is limited. Call The Playmakers, 918-786-8950.
The suggested maturity level for this production is elementary school and older. This age level is based on those who will be able to understand the play and find it enjoyable, and who will not disturb other audience members.
Shown in Photo Above...Roy Harding, Linda Dubois, Vicki King, Pat Edmondson, and Lori Klickman.
...from Correspondant Suzanne Boles

The Canine Corner...by Missy MacTavish

This past week there has been a lot on the teevee set about the big hurricane that hit the gulf coast. I'm not the most intelligent thing on earth but I noticed a lot of stupid things going on concerning this hurricane event.

There was the Secretary of Labor lady talking about what the victims could do to find out what things they could get from her department. She said they should send a text message to her.

What? Excuse me, but it occurred to me that most of the people down there don't know what a text message is, or have the equipment to send one. The Labor lady also said they could send her an email or go on her website. What I want to know is, how could anyone sitting in the middle of a boat in a sea of you know what have access to the internet if the phone lines are down within 250 miles. I think the Labor lady was disconnected.

Then there was Wolf Blitzer of CNN. What a name...Wolf. I have known some wolves in my day and buddy they were pretty fresh. Old Wolf Blitzer was sitting there in his cushy studio someplace, high and dry, saying the entire thing was the Republicans fault. How did he know that?

The Governor of Louisiana, a kindly lady it seems, appeared as if she wanted her Mommy. Woe is me, I surely don't know what to do, she appeared to say. She forgot to call out the Louisiana National Guard until it was too late. Then she hired her own man to direct things.

My take on this is that the entire hurricane could have been prevented if all of the U.S. Congress had stood on the beach in the Gulf coast area and talked, facing south. With all of that wind they would have blown the hurricane back out to sea.

My joke this week: A dog goes into a hardware store and says: "I'd like a job please." The hardware store owner says: "We don't hire dogs, why don't you go join the circus?" The dog replies: "What would the circus want with a plumber."

Until next time, be nice to your pets and have a good day.

Editorial...Vote Yes on Grove School Bond Issue

Residents of Grove have an opportunity to provide for much needed classrooms, computer labs, media centers and space to accommodate the three per cent annual increase in students now occurring in Grove, by voting YES on the Grove Public Schools Bond Election Oct. 11.
The cost for the $7,400,000 in building bonds, issued for 10 years, is small. Residents currently paying $1,000 in property taxes would see an increase of only $31.97 per year. The tax will take effect in 2007-2008, if passed.
Here's what you will get for your money:
A new Early Childhood Center, 36,420 square feet, for 20 classrooms for PreK and Kindergarten students; an addition to the Upper Elementary School of 15,950 square feet and 10 new classrooms; and an addition to Grove Middle School Cafeteria of 6,195 square feet with renovation of the existing facility, to seat 400 students with new cooking and serving areas and new restrooms.
Education is one of the two most important issues to the Grove community, the other being Transportation.
For the good of Grove, Vote YES on Oct. 11, 2005.

Library Brown Bag Lunch is Sept 15

Lois Pitts returns as a guest speaker for the Sept. 15 Third Thursday brown bag lunch at 12 noon at the Grove Public Library. Pitts says she will be telling what she calls “My Granny Stories”. "Granny" was Minnie Creason. She and her husband, George F. Creason, lived in the Dennis - Riverside area northwest of Zena. This will truly be a Delaware County story.
A “Granny woman”, Pitts explains, was a midwife, the person who was called when a woman was about to deliver. Pitts’ grandmother was also a herbalist.
Those coming to Third Thursday are invited to bring a sandwich. Drink and dessert are provided.
The Third Thursday programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Grove Public Library and the library
.…from Correspondant Rose Stauber

Pelicans Gather for Festival

The 22nd annual Pelican Festival is just around the bend, set for Sept. 22-25 at the Grove Civic Center. One of the recently added events will feature the Delaware County Sheriff's Office "Identikid project" on Saturday Sept 24 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Grand Lake Association.
Also new this year will be an indoor Kid's Zone with face painting, sand art, games and more, inside the Civic Center at the north end of the building.
On Friday, Sept 23, the arts/crafts and business Expo begins at noon and the Carnival opens at 5:30 p.m. outside with live entertainment featuring "Fully Loaded" from 7-10 p.m.
Saturday Sept 24 features the annual parade at 10 a.m. from Cheapo-Depo to the Civic Center. This year's theme is "Life on Grand" and floats will be judged according to the theme.
A sidewalk sale from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. will be held as will a "Fly by the Pound" event at Grove Municipal Airport. For some, that will be expensive.
The annual Hook-N-Cookoff is set for Pelican Landing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. while the Cattle Egret Festival for adults only will be held on Monkey Island at Shebangs from noon-5 p.m., and live entertainment will be held from 7 -10 p.m. featuring "Rude Mood."
On Sunday events open at noon while the Grand Lake Audubon Society will present White American Pelican viewing tours from noon to 4 p.m.
The Grove Playmakers will present "Meshuggahnuns" at 7:30 p.m. at 121 W Third on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Around the Lake...

Friday Sept. 16 is the last day to apply for voter registration in order to be eligible to vote in the Oct. 11 Grove School Special Bond Election. Forms are available at the County Election Board office in Jay, and at all tag agencies, post offices and public libraries in the county...Reminder, next Tuesday Sept. 13 is the Special Election to establish a Bridge and Highway Trust Fund, State Question 723, which calls for a raise in gasoline tax over three years of five cents per gallon and an increase of eight cents a gallon for diesel. Ten per cent goes to county highway funds; another 10% goes to cities and towns for roads and bridges, the rest to ODOT for state highways and bridges...The Grand Lake Family YMCA's Open House has been rescheduled for Oct. 1 due to delays caused by "Murphy's Law," said a spokesman...The Grand Lake Sail & Power Squadron and GRDA will join forces Saturday Sept 17 for Shoreline Cleanup Day. Power Squadron members will meet at the E 290 Carey Bay Boat Ramp at 8 a.m.
Property owners around the lake are encouraged to clean up their shoreline and GRDA has provided two large dumpsters at each end of the lake for pieces of styrofoam that have drifted ashore.

Commissioners Set Hearing Date

Delaware County Commissioners set a hearing date of Oct. 11 at 9 a.m. regarding a petition to vacate a portion of a section line in Grandview Estates north of Grove where part of a home has been built on the section line.
In other action at their regular weekly meeting, the commissioners tabled for one week a motion to approve platting of a subdivision known as Apache Coves near Johnson Hollow, with 34 lots involved.
They also approved $23,000 expenditure to General Steel of Grove for construction of a 40 by 80 foot building at the county barn area north of the Grove airport; approved a resolution for intent circuit engineering fund, which uses state funds to pay for an environmental engineer to work with the county on bridge or road construction. Commission Bruce Poindexter pointed out that "this is a good thing" as sometimes bridge construction is held up over rare species or other environmental issues.