City Council Hears from Blue Ribbon Committee

A 45-minute presentation from Grove's Blue Ribbon Committee highlighted this week's City Council meeting, with all five councilmen in attendance. About 100 citizens attended the meeting Tuesday night, set up in the large room at the community center, which is itself a walking advertisement for the need for new facilities.

Highlights of the presentation:

--Sell the present Civic Center (currently a negative cash flow of $190,000 per year)
--Buy the Cornerstone Church with proceeds and a bank loan.
--Remodel church facilities and add a 50,000 square foot convention/trade center, for use 7 days a week for meetings, banquets, conferences, entertainment, wedding receptions, dog shows, boat shows, graduation ceremonies, fundraising events.
--Remodel the children's sanctuary into a banquet room for 300 persons.
--Include a therapeutic indoor pool in the new center, for swim lessons, therapy, exercise.
--Build an outdoor "no frills" pool adjacent to the new Community Center with zero beach entry, water slide, six swim lanes, diving boards, and party pavilion/shade structures. Cost estimated at $3 million, paid for with a 40-year loan from the Department of Agriculture at 4.1% interest repaid at $152,704 per year. The city would need to come up with $94,241 for operations.

By purchasing the Cornerstone Church the city would have an immediately available facility for use with a 750-seat auditorium that could be expanded to 1,000 seats, plus 22,000 square feet of meeting rooms and offices. The 50,000 square foot addition would be built of tip-up concrete with no pillars, a cement floor with a versatile synthetic cover for basketball and volleyball courts, a walking/running track, two racquetball courts, dressing rooms and showers. A commercial kitchen would also be added to the existing church building. Asking price for the church is $3.9 million.

Architectural renderings of what the facilities would look like were prepared by local architect Dennis Brown. Craig Payne, a Tulsa developer, outlined possibilities for new businesses to be built on the present Center site, including a new Reasor's and other businesses. After the presentations Council had no questions regarding the issues.

City Council must now consider what to do with the study.

In the April election contest, three councilors running for office made the following statements regarding the Civic Center/Pool issue: (Note: Candidate statements on the GrovePAC website have recently been removed after they were published several weeks ago in The Observer, on the issue of support for the Police Department) The GrovePAC website previously stated that money from the Simmons gas payment "will be used for some sort of perk like a new Civic Center or Water Park." But then Troy Kyman, chairman of GrovePAC, later stated that "everybody in Grove is in favor of a new swimming pool."

Larry Parham: "I would like to see a multi-purpose facility if it is financially possible, to house events such as the Home Show, meeting facilities, indoor musical presentations and also include a walking area. The method of payment cannot be a tax in any form to the citizens of Grove and the questions should be brought to a vote by the public to allow the citizens to make the choice." (Source: Grove Chamber of Commerce Questionnaire)

Gary Trippensee: "I currently support selling the existing Center only if a new center is available for occupancy. A new center should be capable of housing all of the events that are currently supported. In addition, it should have better acoustics for musical events; be able to be partitioned for multiple simultaneous uses; have several breakout rooms; updated kitchen and larger eating area, better showers, better outside RV hookups, and emergency power capability. If funds are available an indoor pool would be nice. Easy access with large parking facilities would also be required." (Source, Grove Chamber of Commerce Questionnaire.)

Mike Davenport: "I would support the sale of the current Civic Center if a new facility could be built affordably and was approved by the voters. I recognize that the current location of the Civic Center could bring in increased sales taxes and the possibility exists to have a facility with a better location, parking and designed for multiple uses. I will work to bring the community together to achieve this goal. The design and uses of a new Civic Center should be prepared with the help of a quality architecture firm that captures the spirit of Grove. This can only be accomplished with the input of the Blue Ribbon Committee supported by a strong community involvement." (Source: Grove Chamber of Commerce Questionnaire.)

In other action:

--Debbie Mavity, assistant city manager, was surprised with a certificate for Employee of the Month, for her service as acting city manager the past four months.

--council tabled action on an amendment to Zoning Ordinance 527 regarding exterior construction and design requirements.

--Approved a proposal from Blackshare Enviornmental Solutions for a $3,000 stormwater pollution prevention plan at the Grove airport.

--Renewed a lease agreement with DocServices Program, which provides meals for homebound citizens and at the Senior Center, last year estimated at 42,000 meals.

--Approved a resolution authorizing a REAP Grant Application to Grand Gateway for an irrigation project for Lendonwood Gardens, which would still be subject to approval from GRDA and the Corps of Engineers. This would provide for a water line from the lake up the hill to Lendonwood.

--Authorized advertisement for letters of interest to fill the vacant seat on the GIDA board.

--approved amendments to the city manager's employment contract regarding designations as General Manager of the authorities.

--announced a joint meeting with Planning & Zoning for Aug. 6 regarding exterior construction requirements.

--terminated the services of Camiros LTD as zoning consultants.

Observations...

Happy Birthday to Us. Yes, it has now been two whole years that The Grove Observer has provided in-depth news coverage to Grove citizens, more than 1,500 pages and 600 articles with 60,000 page views on the web, read by people who live around the world. And during this time not one issue has ever gotten wet in the driveway, wrapped fish, or put in the bottom of the bird cage. We thank our 1100 loyal readers, including the ones that disagree with our positions on various matters. Who would have thunk it. Call us crazy (many have). The Editor must be certified nuts to do this, without any pay. Bring on the man in the white jacket. Maybe the time has come to get a real job…or go quietly into the night…What's up with the slow water release from a flooded Grand Lake? Maybe they are giving us a view of what the Wolf Creek project would look like, with water at Grove's front door. Thing is, the water is ruining the city park and Rotary's 1986 pavilion project. It still beats the Cheapo Depo across the street though… Actually, the Corps is keeping the Arkansas River in check and can't add water to it from Grand, Hudson or Fort Gibson...Councilman Gary Trippensee objected to the minutes of the Airport Trust Authority Board meetings being included in the city council's packets and thus they have been stricken. This board does not like the media being in attendance and despite numerous requests The Observer does not get notified or get advance agendas. We say let the sun shine on city meetings…the taxpayers have a right to know…otherwise, take the word "trust" out of their name…We hope the new City Manager will communicate more with the citizens of Grove, adding a new page to the city's website titled "This Month's City Government News."…Latest word on finishing the utility work downtown is the first week of September. Talk about bad timing, the entire summer has been misery for downtown merchants. Hopefully it is like the pain of childbirth…it will soon go away, replaced with a revitalized downtown everyone can be proud of…

Grove Beginnings...Part 10

By Rose Stauber
A Grove Snapshot

In June 1900 the federal census came to Indian Territory for the first
time. Well, in 1860, a census taker had wandered in and taken a census
of whites only. And he included the slave schedule so that if you want
to know who owned slaves on the eve of the Civil War, that record is
available.
The only names are of the owners. Each slave is listed by sex, age,
and color. Just to make sure who the census taker was enumerating, after
the name John Ross, he added, "Chief of the Cherokees".

Now it is 40 years later and everyone is to be counted on the census.
Of course, this was indicative of the plan for Indian Territory to become
part of the United States. For those who don't remember, the federal census
is taken every ten years in years ending in zero. They are numbered
beginning with the first census in 1790. The 1900 census is the twelfth census.
For anyone who doesn't know why the census is taken, it is required by the
Constitution in order to determine each state's representation in
Congress.
But since the government is taking a census, it is used to provide
information on various things. The 1900 census is very informative,
asking month and year of birth, number of years married, and how many children
a woman had given birth to and how many were living at the time of the
census.
Always important, it asked the place of birth of the person and of
the person's mother and father. Three questions about immigration were
asked.

The 1900 census and the 1910 census had two schedules, one for the
general population and one for Indians. The Indian schedule added a number of
questions such as tribe, degree of white blood, whether living in a
fixed or movable dwelling and whether living in polygamy. Keep in mind that the
Dawes Commission was enrolling the Cherokee Nation at the time the 1900
census was being taken.

The census date was June 1, meaning each family was to be recorded as
to their status on that date. Children born later did not go on the
census and persons alive on June 1 were to be on the census even though they might
have died before the census taker arrived. That is why the census is a
snapshot.

The date was June 28 when Grove pharmacist Oliver F. Mason began recording
the town, those living in the 200 acres of the original plat. The
township is listed as Township 24 N R 24 East. The town is listed as
"Incorporated Town of Grove". The page number is 110A, Microfilm T-623-1843. It is
available at the Grove Public Library, online, and in major libraries
and archives.

The big question – how many people lived in Grove in 1900? I count
234 on the white schedule and 80 on the Indian Schedule for a total of 314.
Not all 80 on the Indian schedule were Indians. Of the 18 households,
eleven were mixed marriages. W.P. Mayes' boarding house, which Lula Dale
Duckworth Jones praised, had eight boarders, all white. Three other boarders,
including two with Letha Tabler, were white.

One might conclude that the town had a disproportionate number of
whites. Actually, for Indian Territory as a whole, the census found that whites
outnumbered Indians five to one.

Occupations covered what would be expected in a town: at least ten
merchants of various kinds. They included Tredwell Remsen and John
H. Gibson, and about as many salesmen.

Jasper Cal Holland, Henry Thompson, and Cephus J. Wells were listed
as physicians. Andrew H. Emery was a lawyer, Robert Pickens was listed as
dental surgeon. Two druggists and a chemist were listed including the
census taker.

Two were listed as restaurant keepers; two, including Mayes, as
keeping hotel/boarding houses. There was a barber, a freighter, a money
loaner, and two pool hall keepers, Allie Whitley and Haywood Thomason. Skills
found in town were carpenters, a brick and tile worker, printer, watch repairer,
two blacksmiths, stone masons, manager of a threshing machine, harness
maker, and an engineer stationary. Strangely, three heads of household listed
their occupation as lead miners. The manager of the mill was Walter
Doherty, a Cherokee.

The postmaster, as we learned earlier, was George P. Dibble. The one
banker listed was David Fink. John L. Brown was the one minister
listed.

The whites had come to Indian Territory primarily from adjoining
Missouri and Arkansas, but also from Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa,
and, believe it or not, New Mexico as well as other places. The new town
was being settled by strangers who would have to work together.

What of the children? Ten children on the Indian Schedule were shown
as having attended school. Four of these were children of William P. and
Annie Mays. Annie Mays was very interested in education. John H. Gibson's
four children of school age are not shown as attending school, but are
recorded as being able to read and write. The only Indian teacher found was
Mary Smith, 17–year-old daughter of Thomas and Polly Smith who lived just
outside the town limits.

Eighteen white children had attended school, probably a low percentage
of those eligible. No white teacher was identified. The supposition is
that some kind of school was being held for white children, and that it was
the forerunner of the school we know existed just a few years later.
Claude Hanna discusses the first school for non-Indian children as being as
being a one-room log house. See page 71, Claude Hanna Retraces Memory's Road.

This is our snapshot of Grove in June 1900, seven years before
Oklahoma statehood.

Copyright © 2007 Rose Stauber

Eight Persons File for County Commissioner Post

A total of eight candidates have filed for the office of Delaware County Commissioner District #2, which is the northern portion of the county and includes portions of Grove.

These include James R Brown, Price Coble, Billy Cornell, Wayne Dunham, Jamie Earp, Larry Gullett and Curtis Larmon, all Democrats; and Janet Warford-Perry, Republican.

The Democrat primary will be held Aug. 14 and the general election will be Sept. 11.

GMSA Says Pay the $2400 Gas Bill

After several months of investigation, Grove Municipal Services Authority board members have told customer Tim M. Langley to pay his gas bill for two months of service, amounting to around $2400, despite the fact that this is 600% higher than normal.

Langley, General Manager of the Grove Sun Daily the past four years, had protested the bill for service last winter and had asked the board for an investigation into how so much gas could be used, a radical departure from his normal winter bills. GMSA had failed to read the meter for one month, January, and when Langley received the bill for two months of service at more than $2400 his eyebrows went up. His normal bill he said was around $250-$300 per month in the winter.

Board member Larry Green spent several weeks analyzing the problem, including meter failure, meter tampering, gas fired equipment in the house, and concluded that "the gas went through the meter and was basically metered correctly." Langley said he had no opportunity to have the meter tested at a neutral facility and asked for arbitration.

The board voted 4-0 to have Langley pay the bill.

In other GMSA action:

--The board approved a lease agreement with Precision Wi-Fi for the placement of antennas on top of three city water towers for a three-year period. Precision will pay $50 per antenna per month, or $16,200 over the period for three antennas per tower.

--Heard presentations on natural gas supplies from Constellation New Energy of Louisville, KY, and OneOK, of Tulsa. OneOK has had the gas contract for the city since 2003, during which time the cost of natural gas has gone from 5.25 decatherms to 7.17 decatherms in 2007. The GMSA board must now consider the issues of price, reliability, accountability and knowledge when issuing a new contract for gas service. Constellation owns Cornerstone Energy, which supplies gas to Simmons. Current gas prices are down 15% in the past four weeks, board members were told.

An Editorial...Council Should Act on Pool, Center Study

Grove's Blue Ribbon Committee, a group of seven solid volunteer citizens, has made its recommendations to the City Council regarding a new community center and swimming pool for the city.

Sell the existing Civic Center, develop the property with a new grocery store and other associated businesses which will generate sales tax revenue; use the proceeds to purchase the Cornerstone Church and add a 50,000 square foot building for trade shows, remodel the building for banquets, meetings, etc.; build an adjacent swimming pool to replace the aging facility at the state park; include an indoor pool for hydro therapy, swim classes, etc. and add parking to the entire facility shared by both entities.

No new taxes are planned, no bond issues, no property tax. A simple bank loan and low interest loan from the state Department of Agriculture money would provide the funding.

The Committee ended its presentation at Tuesday night's Council meeting with "Let's Put it to a Vote of the People to Sell the Civic Center."

This is where we disagree. It would be a nice gesture, but it is not required. Save the $2500 in election costs. This is a business decision, not an emotional one.

Since no new taxes are required this is a matter which can be decided by members of the City Council, whom we assume ran for office to give their time to improve the city and move it forward.

Less than 20% of Grove's voters would climb out of their recliners and travel to the polls anyway. And what about the 75,000 people who live within a 30-minute drive of Grove and would use the new facilities, who can't vote.

The Council should authorize a real estate appraisal of Cornerstone Church and get a property inspection, just as any homeowner buying property would. It should study the numbers provided by the Committee to see if they are real. It should seriously advertise the sale of the existing Center. And then move on with the program, leading as they were elected to do, making decisions one way or the other.

The seven members of the Blue Ribbon Committee worked for 10 months putting the proposal together. Council has the obligation to act on it in a timely manner, using sound business practices to make decisions.

The Photo Page...

Utility work continues Downtown, now scheduled for completion early September...


These photos illustrate the benefit of a lakefront retaining wall at 755 foot elevation...one photo shows no wall with tons of debris in the yard, while the other yard is squeaky clean with the retaining wall. And, according to Justin Alberty of GRDA, it is OK to burn debris on the shoreline.