City Council Hears New Casino, Hospital Plans

Ground could be broken within 60 days on a new casino in Grove just a few blocks from Sailboat Bridge that could generate 450 new jobs. The $60 million casino will have a five-story hotel with 127 rooms, three restaurants, a 200-seat buffet and several entertainment venues, according to Paul Spicer, Chief of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, who outlined plans for the venture at Tuesday night's Grove City Council meeting before a standing room-only crowd.

The tribe expects to complete financing packages soon and construction should start within 30-60 days, with project completion 18 months later, Spicer told the meeting. He said the new casino will be "magnificent in nature."

"We will help Grove with the funding for increased fire and police protection and be an asset to the city," he said, adding that Phase Two of the project includes a new $5 million convention center which could be utilized by all citizens and be free to non-profit groups and associations.

Several tribal members appeared in opposition to Spicer, not necessarily the project, stating that the matter had not been brought before the Tribal Council and they can't get jobs at the current Grand Lake Casino because they did not support Spicer's election. This debate was shut off by Mayor Gary Bishop when it became apparent the tribal members were protesting Spicer, not the casino. Spicer's re-election comes up in June.

Spicer volunteered to meet with city officials soon to discuss how they could assist the city in preparing for increased police and fire requirements brought upon the city by the new casino.

Greg Martin, CEO of Grove Integris Hospital, told the council that approval to build a new $58 million hospital was contingent on raising $5 million locally, and that nearly $2 million had already been raised or pledged. "The Board wants to see a community buy-in for the project," Martin said.

The new hospital will be built on the new 18th street and will generate $70 million in revenue per year and will be the first new Integris facility to be built outside of Oklahoma City. It will have about 350 full time employees and 95 part time employees and generate some $14.5 million in payroll per year.

"We are asking the city to participate," he said.

In order to assist, Council resurrected an old trust authority that had been dormant since its creation in 1999, the Health Care Trust Authority, and appointed five citizens to its Board for temporary six-month positions. Trust authorities are created, among other things, to borrow money, since the city cannot legally do so.

These include Councilmen Terry Ryan and Gary Trippensee, Ron Lay, Mike Lewendowski, and Dr. Joseph Chouteau. However on Wednesday it was pointed out to the Mayor that three of the appointees do not live within the city limits and are thus not eligible to serve. Another special meeting has been called for Monday to re-appoint members. The trust authority's original board members in 1999 were Bob Nold, Phil Thompson, Eugene Jones, Max Tillman and Douglas Ohlstrom, but their terms all expired in 2002 and were never filled.

Council also appointed two new members to the GMSA Trust Authority to fill the unexpired terms of Dave Helms and Carolyn Nuckolls, who left the council in April.
These were Larry Green, a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines and an engineer, who will serve until September 2008, and Jim Ford, who worked for 42 years as an insurance claims adjuster and also the City of Joplin as an engineer, who will serve until September 2009. Green replaces Nuckolls and Ford replaces Helms on the board. Both volunteered for the positions.

Council also heard from Connie Brewer, chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, who gave updates on the swimming pool and proposed new Civic Center.

"The prices for a new pool are shocking," she said, with a "bare bones pool costing at least $3.1 million; an indoor pool of only 725 square feet will cost $980,000," she said.
There are still lots of options, she said, and the consulting firm, Kimley-Horn, is willing to do presentations to Council when they are ready.

Regarding the Civic Center, she said the group had two proposals for purchasing the old Center, one for $2.56 million, another for $2.2 million, both creating new retail stores on the old site. She said Jack Forrest, a local real estate broker, never responded to her hand-delivered letter to come forth with what he had said was a $3.1 million client.

She mentioned several possible locations for a new center, 7 acres near the Physicians Office Building on 13th street; another on the Sigfried property which included 20 donated acres at Shundi and Elm Creek, offer expiring in February 2008; and another 25 acres on Highway 59. She said financing could be perhaps partially obtained from the Department of Agriculture, which makes grants and could loan up to $3 million in two separate deals, and solicitation of private donors.

"We have heard that at least one councilman would like to see this committee dismissed, and if that is the case, tell us tonight," Brewer said. Councilman Larry Parham questioned her about executive sessions held by the committee and City Attorney Ron Cates responded that the sessions were legal and in compliance with Open Meeting Act requirements.

Mayor Bishop said "if I am in the dark, it is my fault, as I did not attend any of the meetings." "We appreciate your hard work," he added. Council took no action.

In other action, Council:

--gave a Certificate of Appreciation to Randy Dahl who works for GMSA in the Water Treatment Plant, as Employee of the Month.

--Approved a site plan for Bay Pointe subdivision for Don VanHooser.

--Approved a contract with Warrant Divisions, Inc. for collection of outstanding bench warrants from the Grove Municipal Court.

--approved Geneva Wiley's re-appointment to the Grove Library Board through 2012.

--approved a bid from DDT Fireworks for $13,000 for the annual July 4 Fireworks Show in Grove.

Lesson: How to Hire a New City Manager

Picking a new Grove City Manager will be a complex, difficult, and challenging experience that could take up to six months, two state City Managers told the city council Wednesday evening.

Ed Tinker, Glenpool City Manager, and Mike Nunnely, Mannford Town Manager, spoke for two hours on the details. Absent from the meeting was Councilman Terry Ryan. When the presentation was over, the council had almost no questions and voted to go into Executive Session to ponder the issue.

"We will tell it like it is," Tinker opened, "it is very tough out there. There are 11 City Manager openings right now in Oklahoma. Maybe more later tonight. In the last 12 months there have been 37 turnovers in city managers," he added.

"Do you want a Puppet, a Coat and Tie Man, a self-motivator, or a Streetwalker (someone who leaves the office to talk to the people on the street)?"

"You are going to have to pony up a large salary to attract the right person, a salary equal to the top hospital administrator or the school superintendent. Recruitment has to be absolutely confidential; look closely at the applicants; you need to find someone who has expertise at managing utilities and can make money selling natural gas; nobody knows everything, anyone who says he does and won't ask for help is not worth hiring."

"This is Hunting Season for City Managers," Nunnely said, referring to the fact that the April elections were just held with new councilmen ready to hire and fire city managers. "Everyone in Oklahoma knows the history of Grove the last four years with regard to the city manager and you are going to have to sell the city to the applicant."

"Don’t think about Grove's population of 6,000; think instead of 20,000, because that is what it will be in the future. It is just Zeros."

"Don't worry about baggage; the average tenure of a city manager in Oklahoma is four years, they have all been fired at one time or another due to politics," they told the council.

"If you can't find a good city manager currently employed somewhere, or a good assistant city manager in a mid-size or large city, go to the banking or education industries. Do not hire a legislator, as they have no idea where the money comes from, just how to spend it," Tinker told the board.

"You must fit the applicant to the city; there is something called isolationism, when a person moves to a small city from a large one and discovers it is 20 miles to the Mall or grocery store," he added. "They won't stay and you'll be faced with hiring all over again.
And if the person does not work out, fire him, don't wait six months, just fire him."

Candidates for the position must above all have Character, know finances, be able to read a financial statement, have people management skills, and interpersonal relationships. Tinker cited the former assistant city manager of Bartlesville, who took the chief job in Alva, and mailed birthday cards to every city employee.

City Managers need to spend as much time outside their office as they do inside, especially going to Oklahoma City to the state legislature. "Is the legislation good for Grove or Grand Lake? Be on top of it," Tinker said.

For the interview: "Have your contract ready, your salary offer, fringe benefits and retirement package, and don't go cheap," they advised. "Have a check ready for mileage reimbursement and offer to put them up overnight at a motel and buy dinner. Don't hire from Kansas or Texas as their revenue systems are completely different."

Oklahoma is one of only two states in the country that relies only on sales taxes and utilities for Municipal income.

Tinker and Nunnely have been presenting their free advice for nearly two years.

Observations...

An underground leak in a downtown water main was discovered last week and city workers compute that it would come to about 10.5 million gallons of lost water per year. City workers Jack Bower and John Fasano were congratulated at Council meeting Tuesday night by Larry Parham, for repairing the leak late Friday evening after hours. No estimate as to how long the leak had been in existence…The Mayor of Tulsa is not a golfer. She wants to close 27 holes of city golf to save a nickel on a $561 million annual budget…Did you catch the winning quarter design for the State of Oklahoma? We think the voting was somehow rigged. Four different quarter designs received from 15-19,000 each, while the winning quarter of the scissortail bird received more than 76,000 votes. Oklahomans would never agree on anything by such a resounding majority so we think a computer voting system was somehow used…It hasn't been a month since the last city election and its campaign promises, but they've already gone by the board. Named to the Health Care Trust Authority by the city council Tuesday night were two councilmen (remember the campaign promises to appoint only ONE to a board); two campaign supporters of GrovePAC, and only one physician. But Oops! On Wednesday Mayor Bishop was enlightened that three of the appointees do not live inside the city limits and are thus ineligible for appointment, so Council will hold another special meeting Monday at 4:30 p.m. to rescind their appointments and make new ones...That makes three council meetings in a week's time...Mayor Gary Bishop seems to have easily slipped into his mayoral role and handles Council meetings quite nicely. He is as quick to gavel as he is to find a Bible verse, and shut down what could have turned ugly at the last council meeting, on remarks made by Seneca-Cayuga Chief Paul Spicer...Latest update from ODOT on the Highway 59 widening project: Contracts for the $9.6 million project to be let in January with actual construction work to start in Spring '08, asphalt surface, five lanes, curbs and gutters. Will take about 18 months to complete...The new policy on uniformed police officers at city council and trust authority meeting is this: No uniformed police inside the meeting room; uniformed police are to be "in close proximity" outside the room. Wonder what will happen when a Grove city police officer is named Employee of the Month. The new policy came down from Acting City Manager Debbie Mavity last week, at the request of the new council members. Does a uniform make some on the council nervous?
The newspaper headline says "March Sales Tax takes a Dip in Grove...Delaware County Shows Overall Increase." Fact Check: The period was Jan. 16-Feb. 15, not March, and what happened during this period? The biggest ice storm in many years. And in Delaware County sales tax collections were down by $7,516, not up...

Grove Beginnings, Part 4

The Founder, Tredwell Remsen

By Rose Stauber

Local histories haven't paid much attention to Grove's founder, Tredwell Remsen. The county history notes that he had a store at North Main Street and Remsen Street and gave him the title of captain. At least they got his Civil War unit right, but that is on his gravestone in Olympus Cemetery. A more recent book simply notes that he was a Confederate captain and obtained the first post office which was in his store.

The object here is to tell the reader much more about the founder of Grove. Most of the information comes from his military file, his military pension file, and his Dawes Roll application, all from the National Archives. Various documents will be noted as introduced.

Tredwell Remsen is found on the 1860 census of the town of Hempstead, Queens County, N.Y., in the household of his father, John H. Remsen. His mother is said to be Mary. Tredwell is listed as age 17 and by occupation a farm laborer. "Lived with my father and worked on a farm five years previous to enlistment." The census shows his father's real estate valued at $3,000.

For those who don't know the area, it is Long Island adjoining nearby New York City. Tredwell was born Oct. 16, 1843, in Hempstead. His first name is usually spelled Tredwell in both military and other records and was the way he signed his name although sometimes it is spelled Treadwell. All the military records give his middle initial as W. He signed one statement, "My whole name Tredwell Walter Remsen."

After he came to Indian Territory, the middle initial became S., perhaps for Scott. I am just leaving out a middle initial. The next year, on Aug. 20, 1861, the now 18-year-old enrolled as a private in Co. H, 48th New York Volunteer Infantry, and served in the Union Army the next four years until the end of the of the Civil War. The records describe him as 5' 10", complexion florid, eyes gray, hair dark brown, and occupation farmer. This description varies little into the 20th Century in the numerous physical examinations in the pension file.

The 48th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, formed in August 1861, was ordered to Washington, D.C., Sept. 15 and departed by boat two days later. Next it was ordered to go to Annapolis and then by ship to near Fort Monroe where the unit joined a major expedition to Port Royal, S.C., landing Nov. 10, 1861. (For information on the 48th N.Y. Infantry see the National Park Service Civil War website and the online history of the unit.)

For the next two and a half years, the regiment operated in the rivers and mud and swamp and diseases of the southern coastline. The original three-year enlistments were running out. The regiment was hustling to reenlist the men. Tredwell was discharged and signed up again Jan. 24, 1861.

In April 1864 the 48th was called back north to join Grant's Army in front of Petersburg, Va., on the way to Richmond and the end of the war. Tredwell's war got worse. The 48th was in the Aug. 16 battle of Strawberry Plains, the date that prisoner of war records show that Remsen was captured. He was confined at Richmond, Va., Aug. 17, and sent to Salisbury, N.C., Oct. 9, 1864. A different handwriting wrote, "Joined the Rebel Army while a prisoner of war at Salisbury, N.C., date not given."

Actually, his unit had first carried him as dead, then gotten the report of desertion. There is in the file a "Final Statement of Corp'l Tredwell W. Remsen, 48th Reg't of Infantry N.Y.S. Volunteers Died Aug. 16, '64." The appointment to corporal was on June 6, 1864. The rank seems to have reverted to private after his return. The record goes on to report: "Escaped from Fayetteville, N.C., March 16, 1865; reported at Camp Parole, Md., April 6, 1865." In a later statement, Remsen wrote, "I remained in Libby prison on Belle Island and Salisbury prison, N.C., until February '65 when I made my escape and joined Sherman's Army at Fayetteville, N.C. Was sent to Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md." Remsen was given a 30-day leave, and on return was discharged from the Army on June 13, 1865.

Now he began what became a life-long search for help with his medical problems and payment as a wounded veteran. In a statement made April 6, 1880, Remsen said he "was wounded in the left ankle at Fort Wagner near Charleston, S.C. on the night of July 18, 1863." He continues... "was in 15 regular engagements, was taken prisoner at Strawberry Plains, Va. . . . On the 16th day of August 1864." In several statements, Remsen said, "I contracted acute rheumatism while prisoner of war, and never have been clear of it since." In another statement talking about his time in New York City, he tells of an attack which lasted four months, that he had helped in a grocery store for 3 years, had "lived at No. 326 West 26th St. N.Y. City for 2 yrs. & done nothing. Then removed to the Cherokee Nation where I have lived ever since at Carey's Ferry, C.N. Am following farming for a livelihood and have had several attacks here. . . ."

In yet another statement, Remsen wrote, "On the 9th day of March 1871, I left N.Y. City." A doctor in the Cherokee Nation stated that he did not know Remsen before March 1, 1871, and had been his family physician since. He said he knew of Remsen's problems partly from "His diary that he kept while a prisoner of war."

The next article will cover Tredwell Remsen in the Cherokee Nation.
Copyright © 2007 Rose Stauber

A Matter of Faith...

By Carol Round

The Fingerprints of God

“O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.” Psalm 89:8 (NIV)

When I misplaced my driver’s license recently, I had to get a replacement. Notice, I said, “misplaced,” because I found the original a week after I paid for a new one.

The first time I renewed my license after I moved to a new town, I was required by law to have my fingerprints scanned. This new development in technology, in an effort to cut down on identity theft, made me realize how unique we are.

When the tag agent asked me to place my index finger on the scanner, I complied. However, the small device would not read my fingerprint. She had me try again. No luck. I thought something was wrong with me, but hoped it was the machine.

After one more attempt to scan my fingerprint, the agent handed me a tissue with instructions to wipe my fingers, which were, by now, sweating profusely. Was I nervous? A little. Why? I had nothing to hide.

On the next attempt to capture my elusive identity, either the machine decided to cooperate or my dry prints were readable. Either way, we had a hit. My fingerprint was captured electronically for my license.

Fingerprints offer a reliable means of personal identification. No two fingerprints are alike in many billions of human and automated computer comparisons. Even identical twins can be distinguished by their fingerprints.

In 1903, a man named Will West was sentenced to the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. Authorities were confused when they discovered there was already a prisoner at the penitentiary at the time, whose fingerprint measurements were nearly the same as the new convict.

Upon investigation, experts discovered that the two men, who were named Will West and William West, looked exactly alike, but were allegedly not related. Their fingerprints were close enough to identify them as the same person. However, a fingerprint comparison quickly and correctly identified them as two different people. When prison records revealed that each had a record of correspondence with the same immediate family relatives, it was discovered that they were apparently identical twin brothers.

After my grandchildren come for a visit, I continue to find evidence of their presence for several days. Sticky fingerprints grace many surfaces throughout the house. I have to clean their peanut butter and jelly prints on chairs, the refrigerator and my glass doors.

When a child is born, the hospital fingerprints the mom and her baby for identification purposes. Looking back years later at the certificate, a parent can compare the tiny prints of their growing youngster to their much larger counterparts. However, one thing doesn’t change. The tiny whorls and ridge patterns that distinguish us from each other are as individual as snowflakes that fall each winter.

Just as each fingerprint and snowflake has unique characteristics so does our heavenly Father. When we look around, we can see His special fingerprints on everything in our lives. There is no other like Him.

A collection of Carol Round’s most popular faith-based columns is now available in book form. For more information, readers can reach her at carolaround@yahoo.com

YMCA Day Camps to Begin

With summer vacation starting in just a few weeks, parents are beginning to consider summer activities for their children.
For decades now, children have spent summer days at YMCA Day Camps and Grand Lake is no exception.
Summer Day Camp begins this coming June 4 for ages five through 12. Each themed week will be filled with science and craft projects, swimming, field trips, games, community service activities, theater and lots more fun.
The cost for the first child s $60-$75 per week for YMCA members and $70-$90 per week for non members, depending on pick-up time. Each additional child is $10 off for the same week.
For further information, call the YMCA at (918) 786-5774 or drop by the YMCA at 206 Elk Street in Grove, right behind Pizza Hut.