Collinsville, Oklahoma
September 18, 2008
Miscellaneous News

Herald & CHS Classroom Additions Begun /
Eastern Star Presentation / Downtown Inc. Letter & Asphalt / Hog Fry / Hurricane Volunteer


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1110 W. Main, Collinsville, OK 74021
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Ted Wright -- last update 9/18/2008 (MiscSept18.html) www.cvilleok.com

Copyright 2008 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma
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Newly Remodeled Facilities at 13th & Main

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VCO Building Dedication
& Hog Fry Oct. 18th

The new Victory Cherokee community center building will be dedicated October 18th in Collinsville near the Victory Cemetery (east of the north end of 12th Street). Cherokee Chad Smith, Deputy Chief Joe Grayson, District 8 Councilmen Buel Anglen and Bradley Cobb will be among hundreds of expected guests. Buel Anglen will also be holding his annual Hog Fry at the Collinsville VCO Community Center from 11am to 2pm that same day.

Free booths will be available this year for those selling Indian artifacts. Contact Danny Stanley (918-798-2402). The new building will be available to rent by the public.

Downtown Observation
Hi Ted:

I’m attaching an article about our own Main Street America group the Collinsville Downtown Inc. The organization seems to be little understood by most of our citizens and it’s a darned shame. I thought this article would help to bring some of their works to the forefront. Thanks for considering the attached article for your possible use.

Tim Desmond
Contented Downtown Resident

Collinsville Main Street
I’ve been a downtown resident for almost two years now. I’ve done a lot of moving around and I would like my friends here in Collinsville to know what a great place we really have here. After all these years Collinsville to me, is like going home. My neighbors are young and old but we have an amazing ability to share our thoughts, play music and cook out together and especially to join in with one another when there’s hard work to be done. The ice storm comes to mind.

There is another side to this, however. There are all those other people who work tirelessly for our little city in places other than their own immediate neighborhoods thereby enriching every neighborhood in Collinsville. We have a great mayor. He works closely with our very able city manager and the city council’s several members to keep our immediate needs met while planning for tomorrow’s needs as well. We are fortunate to have such a stable political and balanced system of government.

But one group in particular has brought a different gift to our people. They are the Collinsville Downtown Inc. This is a special non-profit corporation that deals particularly with our Main Street restoration; business growth on Main Street and so very importantly our vision for tomorrow. Eventually I decided to join this small band of workers.

Our purpose is four fold:

(1) To seek additional grants for the main street restoration work ahead,

(2) Provide and foster in our citizens an appreciation for their heritage and a vision for its restoration,

(3) Work closely with Main Street merchants in upgrading and restoring the facades on their business properties and finally and assist new and prospective business owners in the achievement of their goals and finally

(4) Offer ideas for tomorrow’s economic growth and direction in cooperation with the Collinsville City Council, the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce and the several other critical agencies in our town. Really, its purpose goes deeper than that but that’s the part I know about.

Collinsville Main Street sponsors, organizes and manages such great events as (the up coming) Halloween Downtown; A Taste of Collinsville; Hogs and Hot Rods; and various Christmas events. Because of the group’s leadership we have been able to obtain periodic grants and donations from national and regional sources; from business folks and ordinary citizens like you and me. As we speak, the city hall annex is being restored to its earlier design and will among its other uses provide a much needed operating place for the Main Street Corporation itself. Again it’s all voluntary. I think we’re really lucky to have those few tireless and forward thinking souls that have over the past few years made all this happen. In particular that would be Brad Francis, Mary Risley and Tharyn Nachtigall. There are others of course and I really don’t know all their names but let’s give all these folks of vision a word of thanks and gratitude. Volunteers as always, most welcomed.

Hurricane Ike Volunteer
From Collinsville
Ted,
Well here I am in Alexandria, Louisiana sitting high and dry. Thought for sure that I might get to see some remnants of Ike, but all we got was a little bit of rain and wind.
Had some excitement down at the courthouse today. Someone left a briefcase across the street from the courthouse and the bomb squad was called in from Shreveport, 120 miles away. They took x-rays of the briefcase and finally blew it up to find out that there was nothing but 2 pencils and a piece of peppermint candy inside. -- Doug Wakefield 9/16/2008

Wanda Hunt (left) and Stephanie Harp
(& two students)
Collinsville's Order of the Eastern Star presented a $100 check to kindergarten teacher, Stephanie Harp. This was to be used for Mrs. Harp’s class as she sees necessary. The presentation took place in Mrs. Harp’s class at the Early Childhood Center Friday, September 12, 2008. Wanda Hunt (back row left) and her daughter Donna Sears (back row right) handed the check to Mrs. Harp (center back row). Mrs. Hunt is the Worthy Matron of the local Eastern Star.
Partial Downtown Asphalt
Temporary Fix: The milling and asphalt work in progress by ODOT on 2 blocks of Collinsville's Main Street (Sept 15-16) will just cover the outer edges of the pavement which are gravel now after the earlier streetscape work. The rest of the milling, paving and center turn lane striping will occur later. The trees will likely be planted in November.
(Previous Coverage)
New Classrooms By Next School Year
8 new classrooms will soon begin construction on the west (back) side of Herald Elemantary.
7 classrooms (1 double sized) will be added soon at Collinsville High School. Construction (dirtwork) began Sept. 8th, 2008.