Local Company To Be Featured on "The View"

Another Grove based company is about to get nationwide exposure, this time on ABC Television's "The View" at 10 a.m. Monday, July 3.
Popcorn from "Ye Olde Kettle Cooker" and Concessions Manufacturing Co. of Grove will be under the seats of audience members and promoted during the show.
The difference between microwave popcorn and kettle popcorn is like the difference between Grandma's fried chicken cooked in a cast iron skillet, and a microwave product from the grocery store. Once we started eating, we couldn't stop. This popcorn is crispier and more sweet than ordinary popped corn. It is not greasy and doesn't need butter.
Kettle Popcorn dates back to the 1800's and most believe it originated in Germany. Cooked over intense heat in soybean oil, sugar, and salt, Kettle popcorn is ready in under three minutes. The secret is the high heat, and the mixture of ingredients in just the right quantity. Two quarts of unpopped corn can generate 100 quarts of popped corn.
World headquarters for Concessions Manufacturing LLC is south of Grove on Highway 59, headed by Howard and Danny Turrel, father and son, who started the company some 10 years ago. A staff of about eight employees builds several Ye Olde Kettle Cooker units a week, which sell for $7500 for the basic unit up to $35,000 for the complete concession trailer and premier interior package.
These aren't for your basic homeowner who wants to make up a batch every night, but for those wanting to make money serving it up to customers.
The major parts for these units include the cooker itself with a ceramic porcelain top, and a receiving tub. The popcorn can be mixed with either a large paddle, or an automatic mixer. The actual trailers are built by Haulmark.
Obviously, the market for these units is people who are in business to make money selling kettle corn at state fairs, entertainment venues, amusement parks, etc.
Cookers are used at such places as Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, Six Flags, Cypress Gardens, Hersheypark, Kings Dominion and many more. The units are capable of producing revenue in excess of $400 per hour; Silver Dollar City in Branson once popped more than 850 pounds of German Kettle Popcorn in one day, on one cooker.
Concessions Manufacturing's location south of Grove has a test kitchen where new products are tested, and a cabinet shop for custom work The company has sold units all over the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Hawaii, and Europe. It was featured recently on the Food Network's "Unwrapped" show. Upcoming is an article in the Northeast Oklahoma Electric Co-op Magazine. Some 60 per cent of the buyers come to Grove and pick up the unit, but others are shipped via truck and even container ships across the ocean.
The Ye Olde Kettle Cooker has been named the #1 popcorn cooker in the U.S. by Amusement Park Magazine.
"A person can invest $15,000 in a unit and recover his investment in a matter of months," Turrel said. Some major amusement parks have grossed over a million dollars in one year, he added. Turrel markets the units via website, trade shows, industry magazines and small business opportunity workshops. Read more at www.kettlepopcorn.net

In Photo: Danny Turrel, owner of Concessions Manufacturing Co in Grove stands next to one of his "Ye Olde Kettle Cooker" units.

City Fireworks Show Set for Monday

This year's Grove City Fireworks Show will be one of the biggest in recent years and also features great live entertainment. Here is the schedule:

6:45 p.m.--Free watermelon, drawing for collectible baseball caps.
7:00 p.m.--Red River Cowboy Band, a professional Texas swing band (leader plays drums for the Texas Playboys)
8:00 p.m.--Doug Gabriel Show from Branson. Male vocalist of the year for six years in Branson, featuring his wife Cheryl with her versions of Patsy Cline songs.
9:00 p.m.--Fireworks.

Bring your lawnchairs or blankets to the Grove Sports Complex on 13th Street.

Crowder Announces Run for County Commissioner Post

Kenneth Crowder, lifelong resident of the Grove area and Streets Superintendent for the City of Grove the past 11 years, has announced his candidacy for County Commissioner, opposing current commissioner Bruce Poindexter in District l.
Crowder served as commissioner from 1987 to 1991 and has served on the Grand Gateway Board, the State Health Board, and the regional economic development board. He also served on the Grove Airport board for 12 years, according to his resume, and presently serves as chairman of the height zoning board at the airport.
"As County Commissioner I will aggressively pursue state and Federal funding for roads and bridges and county offices, in particular the Sheriff's Department," Crowder said. "I would look at all options available for these departments without raising sales tax or ad valorum taxes. There is funding available without raising taxes."
"I was very active in setting up the county solid-waste system in the late 80's; I would work on making it self supporting and would actively pursue industrial development countywide. One of our biggest industries is tourism and I would work with all agencies to help promote this area."
"I know that the county commissioners do not have an abundance of funds to work with, that is all the more reason to elect a county commissioner that is willing to go after other funding that is available, through the Cherokee nation, state, and Federal levels," Crowder said.
Crowder is a graduate of Grove High School and attended Tulsa Technology College majoring in accounting, computer control and business law. He is a member of the First Christian Church of Grove and is married to wife Michele. He has a daughter and two sons, one stepson and five grandchildren.

Lendonwood Receives $2,500 Check

Lendonwood Gardens recently received a check for $2,500 from the Walton Family Foundation of Bentonville, Arkansas, to help fund various communications needs of the botanical garden in Grove.
Steve Duff, president of Arvest Bank of Jay, presented the gift Friday, June 23, to Joan Vermaire, president of the Lendonwood Board of Directors, on behalf of the foundation. Duff will serve as president of the new Arvest Bank of Grove, soon to be constructed on Main Street.
“On behalf of the Walton Family Foundation, I am pleased to present this gift to help spread the word about Lendonwood, one of our community’s real treasures,” said Duff. “This botanical garden has become an important tourist attraction on Grand Lake, which helps bolster our economy and quality of life.”
In addition to the Walton Family Foundation gift, several banks in the area have pledged contributions recently to Lendonwood’s communications initiatives. Donors include Arvest Bank, Bank of Oklahoma, First National Bank, Grand Bank, and Grand Savings Bank.
Vermaire expressed her appreciation for the support of the Walton Family Foundation and area banks. “These recent gifts and pledges demonstrate a deep commitment to our community’s well-being and for the role Lendonwood can play in enhancing the Grand Lake experience,” she said. “The Lendonwood Board and I wish to thank the donors for their ongoing support.”
The funds will be used to publish a new four-color brochure, which will be distributed widely in the four-state region. Several thousand copies will be provided to the Oklahoma tourism department for distribution through tourist centers around the state.
The brochure will highlight the beauty and serene nature of the botanical garden located at 1308 West 13th Street (Har-Ber Road). One of 12 gardens in the Oklahoma botanical garden system, Lendonwood is a non-profit organization supported by volunteers and donations.
The Walton Family Foundation was established as the culmination of the philanthropic interests of the family of Sam M. and Helen R. Walton.
In Photo: Steve Duff, president of Arvest Bank of Jay, presents a $2,500 check from the Walton Family Foundation of Bentonville, Arkansas, to Lendonwood Gardens in Grove. Accepting the check is Joan Vermaire, president of the Lendonwood Board of Directors, who said the funds will be used to help meet communications needs of the botanical garden at 1308 West 13th Street (Har-Ber Road) in Grove. Looking on are employees of Arvest Bank of Jay (from left) Misty Cleveland, Angel Fisher, and Tara Dunham, all of Jay.

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…

Luau Queen Named

Shirley Daggett of Grove was crowned Luau Queen at last week's Monkey Island Fire Department Auxiliary Luau, an annual event which raises money for the department's needs. More than 100 persons attended the rib roasting event and ate homemade desserts. Shirley was recognized for her many years of service to the Auxiliary.

A Matter of Faith...

By Carol Round

FOLLOWING GOD’S ROAD MAP”Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.’” John 14:5-7 Have you ever found yourself lost in an unfamiliar city? I have.

I have had to stop and ask for directions. Even then I sometimes still end up lost. Don't ask me for directions unless you are familiar with local landmarks? I might tell you to go approximately ten miles, then turn left when you see Arby's on the corner. Hang a right at the next stoplight and look for a green truck parked in the drive of a red brick house on the left side of the road. Confusing? Not to me…unless the green truck has moved.
I am confused, however, if someone gives me directions to follow and tells me to head north when I reach the intersection of 3rd and Main. Is that right or left?
I am one of the directionally challenged. I am good at plotting my route if I am headed for a new destination. I can read the map, follow signs, and pray that there is no major road construction that messes up my carefully planned route. If there is, I can easily get lost if there are no detour signs.
On a group road trip, I have no trouble getting us to our destination if I have a navigator in the vehicle that is good at reading a map and giving me instructions. Even in a large city, I can whiz in and out of traffic and make the correct exit­­—most of the time—with the help of friends.

Not bad for a woman who put off getting her driver's license for a year after she was eligible because she was afraid to parallel park. I still avoid parallel parking.
Fear and a lack of direction in our lives can paralyze us. We can become so afraid of making a mistake or of taking a wrong turn, that we don't see the doors of opportunity to learn, to grow and to become the person that God created us to be.
Some of us are too proud to ask for directions and end up lost on a road to nowhere. We spend our lives searching for the right path but never find it.

We ignore signs of trouble and forget to stop along the way to seek help. When we come to a roadblock, instead of slowing down, some of us speed ahead ignoring the warning signs.
The best road map for life is God's word. When He is in the driver's seat, He will lead you safely through the detours and the potholes to arrive safely at your final destination.
Do you trust His directions? God not only knows where He is taking you, He knows how to get you there.