Power Struggle Continues at Jay School Board

"Help Wanted: Assistant Athletic Superintendent, salary $30,000 per year, to work 10 and a half hours a week, duties murky…if you find them not to your liking, you may disregard them. If you don't like your new custom made job description, you may quit.
Hours 8:30-noon Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Reports to Jay School Board."

The Jay Board of Education held a special meeting at noon Friday, with Chairman Tom Dick absent, with most of the discussion centering around the employment of Charles Cooper as an administrative assistant, approved by the Board in June. However, the board voted to amend the previously approved minutes to read "part-time athletic administrative assistant" by a vote of 3-1, then approved a Job Description which the Board had directed School Superintendent David Schachle to write, with a few changes. Cooper was hired in June without a job description.

Schachle pointed out to the Board that "you are writing a job description for Cooper when you should be writing a job description for the position." Schachle also pointed out that a full-time beginning teacher working a full week makes $31,000 and those working an 18 hour week make $11,000. Actually, three different job descriptions had been written for Cooper including one written by Schachle which had found its way to Cooper through an unknown person. In one of the job descriptions Cooper was "to come to work at his own discretion."

"I could use him from 8:30 to 3:30 every weekday," Schachle told the Board.

The meeting got off to a rousing start with Item #3, "Discussion with possible board action concerning the employment of David Schachle as superintendent of schools," placed on the Agenda by Board member Steve Lane.

"We are not going to have discussion on this item," said Charles Walker, who then made a motion to table the item without discussion, which passed 3-1. Lane then made a motion to re-employ Schachle until the end of his contract which was ignored and died for lack of a second.

The Board then voted 3-1 to change the minutes of a June board meeting, minutes which had been previously approved by vote. Lane and Schachle advised that this action was not legal but Walker insisted it was, quoting board attorney John Mayer. A member of the audience objected and Walker stood up and pointed his finger at the woman and said "you are out of order."The change in minutes provided for Cooper's employment as a part-time athletic assistant superintendent rather than full time assistant superintendent.

"This isn't about Cooper, it's about the position. We need to know if he will be here to work or not," Schachle said. "I could take three days and have his entire job description duties done," he added.

"If he doesn't like this job description he may just quit," said member Warren Shackleford, referring to Cooper.

One source said Cooper does not live in Jay or Delaware County and it takes him an hour to get to work. He is a former coach. He was hired by the Board, not Schachle.

The Board agreed to table whether or not to use a search firm to find a replacement for Schachle, since Chairman Tom Dick was absent. Lane said the search could cost as much as $10,000, money which could be used elsewhere in the school system.

Last May Schachle was pressured to resign by the school board and since then Jay citizens have been up in arms over the decision. His resignation was made effective June 30, 2007. No board members have ever publicly stated the reason for wanting Schachle out. (see story, June 2, 2006 issue). He was told by Board members to not say anything about his "firing" and in June the Board decided to hire an administrative assistant for him. This apparently has not worked out, since the person they chose, Cooper, didn't want to do the duties required of the position. "Cooper doesn't want to do anything," Schachle told the board.

At every meeting since, citizens have stood up to praise Schachle and no negative comments have been noted regarding the superintendent.

Council: Garbage In, Garbage Out

The City of Grove must re-advertise for bids on solid waste collection in the city, which will take nearly another month. Meanwhile the current collector, Allied Waste Services of Galena, Ks, which has had the contract for nearly 10 years, says it isn't interested unless it can have an "exclusive" contract, something that is not legal.

Pete Forst, General Manager of the firm, told Council Tuesday night that he was no longer interested and withdrew his bid, after hearing that he could not have an exclusive contract. He had submitted bids of $13 per house per month for once a week pickup, and $9.49 if awarded the commercial, industrial business; the other bidder, Bernice Sanitation owned by Wayne Crouse bid $10.10 per house per month for once a week pickup, and $10.10 if awarded the commercial, industrial business. The above figures include the 50 cent city fee for billing.

Crouse said he would need to charge an additional 50 cents a bag for lawn/leaf materials left out on a "habitual" basis while Forst said it would be the same type pickup as it has been for the past 10 years, except once a week instead of the current twice weekly service.

City Attorney Ron Cates advised both that no exclusive contracts for any services could be signed by the city as a result of legislation passed several years ago. "The business is open to anyone who wants it," he said.

So now the city must re-advertise another Request for Bids. After the ad is published, probably some time this weekend, the city must wait 21 days for bids to come in. City Manager Bill Galletly said the current contract with Allied has a 60-day hold time so the city is in no danger of being without service at this time.

The city incorrectly wrote the bid specs, which included the word "exclusive" in it, under "Term."

Grove has approximately 2523 residential and 454 commercial accounts, on 213 miles of roadway within the city.

In other action, Council:

--approved a Change Order #1 from APAC of Oklahoma deleting $161,143.43 for the 18th street project, which was the amount to build a concrete bike path along 18th street and down Shundi to 9th.
On September 13, District Attorney Eddie Wyant sent a letter to Jeff McMahan, state auditor and inspector, seeking an audit of the 18th Street Road Project, questioning "two specific areas of concern--the acquisition of the property for the road project, and the associated construction of a bicycle path/sidewalk without properly bidding same."
Wyant said "I understand that the City of Grove Officials are working hard for their community interests, and I believe it would be beneficial for them to have an opportunity to fully and fairly represent the various decisions they have made with regard to these matters. Therefore, I would like to make certain that a more thorough review of these transactions are completed prior to my office taking any further action."

--in Executive Session, Council voted to deny a pending claim from former city attorney Dorothy Parker.

--received a refund check from Charlotte Johnson, President of the Grand Lake Association, for $28,817 for monies unspent for June's Bassmaster Elite 100 event. The city had given GLA $75,000 to help put on the event and Johnson said they had promised to refund any unspent monies.

--heard an in-person activity report from Lisa Friden of the Grove Chamber of Commerce.

--Set a Fee Schedule for reproduction of records and time used by staff in their preparation. City staff will now charge a minimum of $25 for labor, if the request is "for commercial purposes or would clearly cause excessive disruption of the public body's essential functions." Staff cited one case in which an attorney had requested copies of all City Ordinances dating back to 1908 which took staff four days to put together.

--Set council/staff workshop sessions for 4:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month, prior to Council meeting at 6 p.m.

City Saves $700,000 on Utilities Relocation Project

Grove has saved about $700,000 on the highway 59 utilities relocation project, money which will be put to use on other necessary projects, City Council and GMSA board members were told Tuesday.

City Manager Bill Galletly said the savings came by going to bid early on materials, which have now been stockpiled in Grove, and by getting approval to put Sewer and High Pressure gas lines in one trench, and Water and Low Pressure gas lines in the other trench, instead of having to dig separate trenches for each.

GMSA and Council approved the low bid of $2,318,090.25 for BRB Contractors, Inc., bid on water, sewer and gas as three separate items. Total actual cost will be around $4 million, $700,000 below engineering estimates. The city will be reimbursed $2.3 million by ODOT and must spend the $4 million within three years. The bid was approved contingent upon receiving written approval from ODOT.

Materials cost for the project are estimated at $1,420,686 with ODOT reimbursing $941,032; construction costs are estimated at $2,313,090 with ODOT reimbursing $1,227,079. Engineering costs are $245,000 with ODOT paying $147,646.
High bidder was Mustang Construction at $3,195,330.

Observations...

The city has received an update on the Verizon Cell Tower project, noting that environmental studies, survey, and tower equipment ordering are completed; in process is FAA paperwork, which should be approved within two weeks. Construction should start the last quarter of 2006, with groundwork beginning in October or November, according to Verizon. Verizon and Sprint are already signed up…GIDA Board members are working on a new fee schedule for the Grove Civic Center and are all but eliminating "freebies." Recommendations should be completed by the next meeting…Remaining land at the NEO center across from the library will probably be held for education purposes, including four lots listed at $20,000 each, and land to the south which may be used by Northeast Technology Center…The issue of a city-wide Wi-Fi system is going to be brought up again, a true Mesh system which covers the city like a blanket rather than receiving signals from several towers. There are currently three wi-fi systems, all on the 900 mgzh band, which are interfering with each other causing sporadic reception. With the Mesh system there are multiple transmitters every two blocks or so. The cities of Vinita, Miami, and Pawnee are currently installing such systems and Bartlesville recently completed a 36-square block downtown system which is free to users in that area…The Observer needs a high school student writer to cover Grove High School Football home games; if interested please call 791-0203. Rate of pay is the same as The Editor....Oct. 11 is the date set for a GRDA hearing on a huge marina application from Peter Boylan at Shangri-La. We hope to get more details soon...Will Delaware County taxpayers have to pony up $800,000 to repay the FAA for grant monies previously given to the Monkey Island Development Authority? That is the question people are asking, after Federal Judge Claire Eagan issued a ruling this week that puts Delaware County and MIDA jointly responsible for the repayment. MIDA has no money so that leaves Delaware County, the public trust's beneficiary. The $800,000 was used to acquire land for the Grand Lake Regional Airport on Monkey Island, and build a security fence around the airport and airport manager Paul Staten's house. State money was also used to build the fence. The Delaware County Commissioners are squarely on the hook for their failure to handle this entire deal properly, including the continued appointment of evil doers to the MIDA board and failure to admit the county's liability early on.

Grove Police to Get New Radar Trailer

The Grove City Council has approved the purchase of a new Radar Trailer at a cost of $5790 for use by Grove Police and Streets Department to help slow down motorists passing through Grove. Chief Ivan Devitt requested the unit, which can be towed to various locations at will. It runs off two batteries which provide power for seven days.

The purchase includes a "data logger" which records the speeds, time and targets, which can be downloaded into a computer graphing the information.
Council instructed Devitt to also begin issuing tickets for speeding and failure to stop at crosswalks. With the new radar unit, specific locations can be identified and then manned by police units for enforcement.

The Canine Corner...by Missy Mactavish

Well hasn't this been a week.
First, the power in almost all of Grove goes out and the electric company blames it on a Squirrel. They always do that. My Squirrel friends are tired of it, always getting the blame. Where is the dead Squirrel? Did they perform an autopsy on him?
I'll tell you if it was a Squirrel, it was a two legged one wearing a hat and driving a bulldozer/digger thing.
Now, the other matter. Those Zebras are back from Africa, working in Oregon. I spoke about this last year when they got loose on the football field and caused my team to lose a game and now they have gone and done it again.
One of the Zebras went to high school with the football coach that won the game; the Zebras are from the same tribe as the football team; and the Zebras are nearly blind. They were seen eating a big Spinach Salad prior to their game.
I urge them to go back to Africa and do something positive with their lives. Then we Shelties could take over the football fields and herd the players around.
I will be going to Spud City, Idaho shortly to see my relatives, and taking time off from my columns. I will tell you all about the trip when I return.
Until next time, Bark On! Miss Missy.

A Matter of Faith...

By Carol Round

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Romans 13:14 (NIV)
“It’s mine.”

If you’ve ever watched two children playing together, you’ve probably heard those words before. Like most two-year-olds, my granddaughter has to learn the concept of sharing with her younger brother.

She’s learning. Sometimes she conveniently forgets. Recently, she took a toy away from her brother and told her parents: “Look, Bubba is sharing.”

Sharing does not come naturally to humans. When we are born, our needs are focused on “what’s in it for me?” When we come out of the womb, we’re crying. We’re hungry. We’re tired. We’re scared.

Our needs are simple. Feed me. Change me. Hold me. Comfort me. As we grow, our needs change but they are still basic. We not only need food to sustain our bodies but we need love to help us thrive.

Somewhere in the growing process though, we confuse need and want because we are born selfish. We have to learn selflessness. Letting go of self is not an easy process. It requires daily effort, especially in our “me first” society.

The advertising and marketing world reinforces that “It’s all about me” mentality. Look at some of the slogans: “Because I’m worth it.” “Have it your way.” “It’s everywhere you want to be.” “When you got it, flaunt it.” “Double your pleasure, double your fun.”

When the focus is on our pleasure and having our way, we miss God’s best for our lives. One of my favorite advertising slogans is “Reach out and touch someone.”

As I was leaving church one morning last fall, I met a woman struggling to open the heavy glass door. Her right arm was in a sling. Although she was wearing a turban, it didn’t dawn on me that she was battling cancer. I saw her struggle and assumed she had a broken arm. I rushed to open the door for her. After she thanked me, I inquired about her arm. She told me of her battle with cancer and the resulting problems with lymphedema or arm swelling.

Our conversation has led to a close friendship because I am a cancer survivor too. I am blessed because mine was diagnosed early. I did not need chemo or radiation. My friend was not so fortunate.

Patti, however, doesn’t feel sorry for herself. Her attitude toward life is a blessing to me as well as to others. In fact, this tiny woman is also dealing with her husband’s health problems. She is focused, not on self, but on helping others even though she spends most of her days at the doctor’s office or visiting her husband who is confined to a rehab center.

Caught up in self, we forget our purpose. Just as Jesus humbled himself to wash the feet of his disciples, so must we humble ourselves to serve others.

Are you self-centered or other-centered? Remember, it’s not about you.

Carol Round is a former Jay High School journalism teacher who now resides in Claremore, Oklahoma. Readers can reach her at carolaround@yahoo.com.

Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

I guess I am not up to speed on everything going on in Grove. I just found out yesterday about the consideration by C/M and the council of building a 4.5 to 5 Million dollar "Aquatic Park". The information stated that some kind of feasibility study would have to be done (That always cost big bucks) before getting it on a ballot for a vote by the people. Looks like to me that if there is an estimated cost, it could be put to a vote before spending the money on a study. Then, if the people voted for it, the study could be done.
I doubt that this is a good time to consider ANOTHER big project for Grove. We still have the 18th street project, the highway 59 project (which I hear ODOT has postponed construction on to 2008) in the works, the cemetery (which we spent considerable money to determine if it should be someplace besides the land that was originally purchased FOR the cemetery expansion), the communication tower, and a new water tower and a boatload of smaller things that need to be considered. I think our plate is full right now.

Jim Barrett
Grove, OK

Editor's Comment: The people need to know what they are voting on, how much it will cost them, and what it will look like. This means doing a plan prior to election.
Next April will be a defining moment in Grove's history...to move forward, or return backward.

Grove Rotarians Host Romanians

A Group Study Exchange Team, sponsored by Rotary International, visited Grove this week to learn about vocational aspects here that are similar to those in Romania, home of the team members. They are in the area for a month of study, and in Grove for their three-day visit stayed at the homes of Grove Rotarians. Shown left to right are Mihai Arseleah; Daniela Gologan, Monica Pascu, Silvana Cojocarasu, and Valentin Cismaru.

Vintage Car Rally Coming to Grove

The VCRA, Vintage Car Rally Association, is proud to announce the First Annual Mid-America All Star Rally Sept. 21-24. This is a cloverleaf type rally event for vintage and antique cars that is headquartered in the beautiful Grand Lake of the Cherokees and Grove.

Entrants will participate in a three-day time-speed-distance rally competition for vehicles manufactured in 1948 or prior. The scores for the teams are determined by their ability to precisely follow a set of predetermined course instructions. Any seconds off of the perfect times are counted as penalty points. The team closest to a perfect score at the end of the rally will be the winner.

The rally entrants will travel through four states, Oklahoma, Kansas , Missouri , and Arkansas , taking in the beautiful scenery of both Grand Lake, Table Rock Lake, and also includes a trip down historic Route 66. Each day the cars will leave the Grove Civic Center and rally as far out as 90 miles going through cities and towns including Jay, Afton , Colcord, Fairland, Quapaw, Kansas, Twin Oaks, Spavinaw, Langley (Pit Stop), Bernice, Picher and Ketchum; Noel, Neosho, Maysville, Exeter, Southwest City (Pit Stop), Tiff City , Eagle Rock, Cassville (Lunch Stop), Wheaton, Neosho (Pit Stop) and Seneca, Missouri. Bella Vista (Pit Stop), Pea Ridge and Holiday Island (Pit Stop), Arkansas. Baxter Springs, Columbus(Pit Stop), Galena, Scammon, Pittsburg (Lunch Stop), Opolis, and Riverton, Kansas

Spectators Welcome. Families and interested bystanders are welcome to the event, and will be able to get a "hands-on" view of the cars entered in the competition and will be able to talk to the drivers and navigators one on one. Admission is free with plenty of things to see and experience while in the area. Check it out on www.vintagecarrally.com.

All of the event proceeds will be donated to the fight against autism. http://www.unlockingautism.org/

Not since "The Cherokee Strip Run of 1893" has there been a land Race like this in Oklahoma "

This event is officially sanctioned by VCRA, LLC. Call 918-786-1950 OR 620-532-3390 for entry forms and additional information, or visit the rally website. www.vintagecarrally.com.

Jay School Board to Meet Friday Noon

The Jay Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 12 noon Friday, Sept. 22 at the administration building, 821 N Main in Jay.

Agenda items include a discussion with possible vote on the job description for the position of administrative assistant, and a possible vote on the use of the Oklahoma State School Board Association's superintendent search proposal.

The fireworks are free.

Grove Rotarians Golf in Tulsa

Grove Rotarian golfers at the September 14th District Rotary Golf Tournament, Forest Ridge Golf Club in Tulsa (L-R): Norm Carnett, Carl Metcalf, Richard Lippit, John Gillette, Steve Pace, Carla Mills, Jack Moseley and Bob Daggett.