Observations...

Last October Ron Gates, President of Cherokee Connex, a wireless internet company, came before the GIDA Board to make a presentation regarding covering the entire city with broadband internet service. GIDA did nothing, other than to instruct the city attorney to meet with the attorney for the Oklahoma Municipal League. Recently the Grove City Council tabled the subject for six months. Now we hear that Vinita will receive this service beginning Aug. 1, with Miami and Pawnee coming on line thereafter. The Vinita wi-fi system is costing $695,000 with another $800,000 for the automated meter reading program, financed through tax exempt bonds with the Community Communications Authority, a trust indenture authority formed by Miami, Pawnee, and Vinita, said Charlie Enyart, Vinita City Administrator. Cherokee Connex will build and maintain the system. Cherokee Connex will offer high-speed wireless Internet, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), IP television, basic phone service, voice on demand and wireless cellular phone services at competitive prices. We're still waiting in Grove .…Branson Landing, with 450,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, sold out all 341 luxury condominiums prior to the grand opening last week. This is a $420 million project for Branson, population 7,000 with 7.3 million visitors a year. Two new Hilton hotels are also being built as part of the waterfront project. Can Wolf Creek be far behind?...GRDA is getting lots of media attention these days over its decision to hire a new media company, Chronicle Media, on a $60,000 first year contract, over long-established firms such as Littlefield and Winnercomm, both of Tulsa. GRDA has never had enough people in its own Media Department so one has to wonder where they got $60,000 to spend outsourcing the work. This deal smacks of cronyism…The Grove Observer strongly opposes any tax increase in Delaware County to finance a new jail in Jay, since the real problem lies on our state legislators' backs and their failure to address the statewide problem, the state penitentiary bed shortages, and pay raises for prison personnel. The entire prison system is backlogged at the state level which filters down to problems in all 77 counties. While the legislature fiddles, the problem is being put squarely on the backs of the counties…There's no shortage of things to do this weekend…the Jay Huckleberry Festival starts Thursday; the Grove Fireworks Show and live entertainment is Monday evening, and if you have courage, go by boat to the Duck Creek Fireworks Show Saturday night…The Cajun Festival will be at the Grove Civic Center all day Saturday with Jana Jae & Hotwire, plus arts and crafts booths and Cajun food. Admission is free…The Afton Public Works Authority has told Grove to fly a kite and is refusing to pay increases on gas wheeling fees authorized by the Grove Municipal Services Authority. Afton says it is a partner, not a customer, while Grove City Manager Bill Galletly says "we are no longer going to subsidize Jay, Afton and Fairland's gas service…W.R. Holway Lake has finally been filled and GRDA's pumpback units are once again generating power at Salina…