AROUND THE COUNTY
1966ERS PLAN ALL-SCHOOL REUNION
Registration is under way for the Pawhuska High School “All School Reunion,” which will be held June 3-4.
The PHS Class of 1966 will serve as host for the Saturday night Dinner, Music and Dance, set from 6 p.m. until midnight at the Pawhuska Elks Lodge.
Recommended attire is very casual. Dinner will consist of hamburgers, potato salad, baked beans and desserts. There also will be snacks and cash bar, with music from all eras.
Persons who register for the dinner and dance before May 15 pay $25. After that date (or at door), the cost will be $35 per person. Checks should be made out to: Larry Stuart at P.O. Box 678 in Hominy, OK 74035. Please note on check: For 2016 Reunion and include the year of your graduation, maiden name (if applicable), and the name of your spouse or guest. Everyone is asked to contact former classmates and encourage them to attend.
ON CONSTITUTION MARKED
Ten years ago on May 6, a new document was signed into law changing the form and direction of the Osage government. On May 6, Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear signed a proclamation declaring this day, “A day of remembrance of the founding of the Osage Constitution.” A formal announcement was issued to the employees of the Osage Nation and to the other two government branches, the Legislative and Judicial branches.
The proclamation urges the WahZhaZhe (Osage people) to, “take time to reflect upon the historical experience of the WahZhaZhe and our future hopes so that we may all make significant and lasting contributions to our society.”
The Osage Nation also currently recognizes March 11 as Osage Sovereignty Day because it is the day the Constitution was ratified.
The process to reform the Osage government began in 2004 garnering broad academic interest including a book by Osage citizen, anthropology professor and author, Dr. Jean Dennison, Ph.D, “Colonial Entanglement: Constituting a Twenty-first Century Osage Nation.” Dennison’s book, by an Osage about Osages, chronicles the reform process.
KIWANIS FORE! KIDS EVENT
Pawhuska Kiwanis Club will host its annual FORE! KIDS Golf Tournament on Saturday at Pawhuska Country Club.
The event format is to be an 18-hole, four-person scramble. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Teams are to be picked by drawing. Entry fee is $50 per person and includes fees, cart, lunch and prizes.
For early reservations, call 918-287-7108, or email ward-e@sbcglobal.net or jhager@cboktulsa.com
ROADS MAPPED FOR LIFE
Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce will offer “Food For Thought” on Thursday, in partnership with The Strategy Center.
Tonya Foreman and Tara Gotwalt will present an upbeat hour of helpful techniques for improving your work and your life. Lunch provided by the Chamber.
The educational session is set from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pawhuska Business Development Center, 1225 Virginia Short St. To reserve a spot, please RSVP to Cindy Helmer at cindy.helmer@tricountytech.edu or by phone at 918-287-3357.
RETIREE TO BE HONORED
Sharon Griffin will be honored for her 27 years of dedicated public service during a Friday retirement celebration at the Osage County Health Department, 1115 E. 15th St.
The public is invited to attend the retirement event, which will last from 4-6 p.m.
Griffin started working for the State of Oklahoma in 1989 as a maternal and child health consultant for Osage and Washington counties. Later, she served as an administrative assistant for the ElderCare Program before taking a similar position with the Washington and Osage County Health Departments. In 2011, Griffin accepted the position of Local Emergency Response Coordinator for Osage, Washington, Rogers and Nowata counties.
Noting Griffin’s long-held passion for public health, organizers said “she dedicated her career to assisting her community and has tirelessly served the public during outbreaks and weather events. Her attention to detail and meticulous nature are surpassed by none. Sharon’s knowledge, experience and service to the State has been greatly appreciated and she will be missed.”
LODGE SLATES KIDS DAY
The Lodge at Taylor Ranch is sponsoring a “Kids Day” on Sunday, June 5.
A fishing derby, swimming, hiking and other family activities are planned for the event, which is scheduled to last from from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Disc golf also will be offered, of course, as the Lodge at Taylor Ranch — located six miles south of Pawhuska on State Highway 99 — is home to two of the area’s premiere 18-hole courses.
Participants at the event are encouraged to bring their own fishing poles and golfing discs (as well as swimming apparel, sunscreen and insect repellant). Lunches will be available for $5. Children must be accompanied by their parents or other adult guardians.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL STARTS SOON
Calvary Baptist Church will hold Vacation Bible School from 6-8:30 p.m. June 6-10. This year’s theme is Submerged> Finding Truth Below the Surface.
The Vacation Bible School is open to grades kindergarten through sixth grade. Calvary Baptist Church is located at the corner of 15th and Lynn. For more information, contact the church at 918-287-3804.
BLOOD DRIVE HELD
The Osage County Sheriff’s Office hosted the Dwight Barnard Memorial Blood Drive and Fundraiser on May 13.
Oklahoma Blood Institute conducted the drive, which lasted from 4-8 p.m. in the Osage County Fairgrounds’ Ag Building. The special event was held in honor of Barnard, a longtime OCSO deputy who died in 2011.
Friday’s drive provided area residents with a final chance to participate in the OBI’s Blood Donor Challenge, a 14-week campaign to which more than 37,000 Oklahomans contributed. Blood Donor Challenge commemorative T-shirts were given out to all drive donors.
Barnard served in law enforcement for 40 years with the OCSO and Fairfax Police Department. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he also was a member of the Masonic Lodges in Pawhuska and Fairfax, as well as Shriners International and the Pawhuska Elks Lodge. Barnard was 68 years old when he died, following a long illness, at his home in Burbank.