Wed. April 18

This past weekend was crazy busy!  In spite of the cold temperature and ferocious winds, a dedicated group of civic-minded citizens joined volunteers from Friends of Roman Nose Park Association, Phoenix Circle Foundation, and park personnel in the GREAT AMERICAN CLEAN-UP - OKLAHOMA project at the State Park on Saturday morning.  We picked up trash and recyclables in several areas of the park.  Keep Oklahoma Beautiful in Oklahoma City has lent us several recycling bins for aluminum and plastic, and those were located at the General Store.  We collected seven garbage bags of trash, a partial bag of glass, two bags of plastic, and 2 bags of cans in the short time we spent outdoors.

 We quit at noon and a few of us treated ourselves to hamburgers at the General Store.  Thanks to everyone who came out to help -- you went above and beyond and I know the State Park management appreciated the effort!  We'll do it again sometime and hopefully get some Boy Scouts and other civic groups involved.  I personally want to give a special THANK YOU to Mary Ann Teply, a member of Friends of Roman Nose State Park Assoc.  That woman has a heart of gold.  She spent the morning at the #OKGAC activity in spite of the weather and in spite of the fact that she was heading up the RELAY FOR LIFE event that same evening!
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The "Movie Night at the Park" organized by the Chamber of Commerce for Saturday April 14 was questionable for a while because of the cold and windy weather.  Teresa France, director of the Chamber, posted "...The event still happened it was just moved to the Lodge. Kyle (Roman Nose Mgr), myself and Friends of Roman Nose State Park are planning many more movies in the Park in the upcoming months ahead. We will have Food Trucks and fun events planned. Please follow the Chamber page for details on the next event! Or sign up for our Chamber mobile club to get events scheduled in our community as a text.  Text: Watonga to mb#: 30218"

[Other ways to keep up on what's going on in our area are Facebook pages -- Blaine County OK Community and Watonga Community Events, AND public Group pages: Watonga Events and Roman Nose State Park Friends. Because I am on the Board of Directors of Red Carpet Country tourism association, I feel that getting information out about events and activities is important and not every group, especially non-profits, can afford advertising in the local newspaper.  The local paper does a great job reporting on agriculture, sports, oil and gas, politics, church and school news, but I'm not sure how a mummified monkey found in an old store in Minneapolis or 'zombie racoons' in Ohio are of interest to Watonga readers. [I could be wrong!]  There is more "local" news to report on - like entertainment and community service projects, fundraisers, etc.  So I hope you will share the information you get here and spread the word that there are other sources of news and information available.]   
 
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On Sunday afternoon, the Chaparral Retreat hosted singer/songwriter/ troubadour CHUCK DUNLAP for a house concert.  Chuck was one of the musicians on the ground floor in Stillwater OK that began blending blues, folk, rock, and alt-country music into the genre pegged as "Red Dirt". He has opened for Emmy Lou Harris, Johnny Lee Hooker, Levon Helm, Muddy Waters ... to name a few.  Pretty impressive!  At this show he played some songs from his new CD "Full Circle", some of his older tunes, and a couple of covers, my favorite being the classic "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. It was a laid back afternoon with a couple of new folks showing up for the show.  I am continually amazed at the talent we've been able to get out here.  If you haven't been to one of the Oklahoma House Concerts, you can't imagine what you are missing.  An added benefit of the Oklahoma House Concert is that we attract visitors from out-of-town, who bring tourism dollars to Watonga businesses (grocery store, liquor store, winery, restaurants, gas stations ...).

        

  
        After most of the audience had left on Sunday, we shared stories and conversation with Chuck and Vic  over bowls of hearty bean soup before they headed off for Stillwater and then on to New Orleans.  Chuck and Vic confirmed what other touring musicians have told us:  they like to play house concerts because it is intimate and "homey", and people are there to listen to them.  I highly recommend checking out Chuck's music and his new CD at www.chuckdunlapmusic.com.

COMING UP:   

Roman Nose State Park will host the April meeting of the Red Carpet Country Board of Directors, giving our board a chance to see first hand the beauty of our State Park and meet the new management and staff.  
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April 27 - 29, 2018 are the dates for the Spring Roman Nose Hills Trail Ride. This event brings in visitors from all over the state -- great for tourism for Watonga and Roman Nose State Park.   Information and registration are available on the website, www.romannosehillstrailride.com. The Trail Ride is held twice a year and is one  of the best-organized, best-attended pleasure trail rides in Oklahoma.  Non-riders are welcome to come out for meals (see website for cost) and entertainment. It is always a fun family weekend as there is plenty to do at the Park (fishing, hiking, cookouts, putt-putt golf, and paddle-boat rentals).  The event is sponsored by Watonga Kiwanis Club.
Call in pre-registration is encouraged - Jeff Fritz 580-830-0235. 

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The T.B. Ferguson Home & Museum is holding its 
annual Tea fundraiser on Sunday, May 6, 2018
at 2:00 PM at the First Baptist Church, 301 N. Noble, Watonga.  The theme will be "Pottery World of Oklahoma" and a presentation on decorating with pottery will be given. Tickets are $8.00 and must be bought in advance and can be purchased from any Friend of the Ferguson Member or call the museum at 580-623-5069 to reserve your seat. Light refreshments will be served. Email address is historic.tbfergusonhome@gmail.com
See also Ferguson Home Museum on facebook

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Lot more stuff coming up, but this is all I have time to write today.  BUT, mark your calendar for the next OKLAHOMA HOUSE CONCERT on Friday, May 4.  It is almost Cinco de Mayo and we plan on having something special.  Watch for details!! 

/Linda Barrett   



                


 

     

April 11 - Upcoming activities

Here are a couple of things I think are important that should have been in the local newspaper this week and were not.  Some may disagree that they are important to know.

1.  The city sales tax measure for the Watonga (Mercy) Hospital did pass, thankfully.  This is important news for our community There was quite a bit of Facebook chatter about it, but not everyone gets their news on facebook.

2.  The Great American Cleanup Day (#OKGAC)  for our area is scheduled for this Saturday, April 14, 2018, at Roman Nose State Park.  Volunteers are needed and everyone can help in one way or another.  I know that the State Park appreciates any and all help it can get in helping keep our local state park clean for visitors.   With all of the state budget cuts, this is an important activity as Roman Nose State Park is one of the major tourism attractions in this area, and tourism brings people to Watonga, which in turn brings in sales tax dollars.  A recent visitor to our town asked "what is there to do in Watonga?"  The Watonga resident answered [and no, it wasn't ME that answered], "Roman Nose State Park, the Whirlwind Winery, the antique store on Main Street, and the Chaparral Retreat & Guesthouse"!  The visitor actually came out to the Chaparral Retreat and we gave them information on the T.B. Ferguson Home & Museum, a rack card from the Chamber of Commerce, a flyer on Oklahoma House Concerts, and a copy of the Red Carpet Country Visitor's Guide.

         In connection with the #OKGAC Clean-Up day, PHOENIX CIRCLE FOUNDATION has coordinated with the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful organization and their partners, and been given gloves, trash bags, a couple of recycle bins for plastic and aluminum cans, bottled water, and some T-Shirts for volunteers.   This is a perfect opportunity for community service hours for Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, church groups, civic groups, children and adults, youth -- everyone can help. BE SURE AND WEAR APPROPRIATE SHOES for walking through the woods and along trails at the park.

Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot at the Lodge and small groups will head out from there. Children must be accompanied by an adult.  Keep Oklahoma Beautiful and its partners have provided trash bags, gloves, bottled water, and recycling bins.     Contact Linda Barrett by phone or text at 940-735-1065 if you have any questions. The event will also be posted on Facebook page BLAINE COUNTY OK COMMUNITY. 

BEFORE the Clean-Up Day, residents can also help the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful program by collecting their aluminum cans and plastic bottles at home (put into separate trash bags) and bring them out to the General Store at the Park.  A KOB member will then pick up and deliver the bags to the KOB recycling center in Oklahoma City. 

OTHER LOCAL NEWS AND ACTIVITIES

Following an afternoon of clean-up at Roman Nose State Park on April 14,  the public is invited to a Movie Night at the Park, sponsored by the Watonga Chamber of Commerce.  For more information, see the Chamber of Commerce's Event posting on Facebook or contact Teresa France at the Chamber of Commerce.  The Chamber and its Board are really working hard with its new director, the management at Roman Nose State Park, and Friends of Roman Nose State Park Association to promote family-friendly activities.

Personally, I don't really care about the newspaper article from Anchorage, Alaska about a moose stomping on a man's foot.  I would like to see more articles about and from our own State, county, and city. For Example --   

                  The Chaparral Retreat is honored to host "legendary" (I am told) musician Chuck Dunlap for an informal house concert on Sunday afternoon, April 14, from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm.  Chuck was on the ground floor in Stillwater, Oklahoma of the acoustic singer-songwriter genre that filled the gap between country and rock music that would later be  pegged "Red Dirt" music.  He has opened for such music legends as  • Emmy Lou Harris • Johnny Lee Hooker • Levon Helm• Muddy Waters • Leon Redbone • Jerry Jeff Walker

“The influence of Chuck Dunlap on the Oklahoma musical tradition should not be under-rated.” -Chris B. Critter/Currentland    Check out his website:   www.chuckdunlapmusic.com

The concert is FREE, though a donation to Phoenix Circle Foundation of $5 - $10 is requested (but not required) to help bring future arts and music activities to Watonga.  The musicians share their time and talents for tips and merchandise sales, and we are so fortunate that Chuck has chosen to stop here on his tour.  Another Oklahoma native, Dylan Stewart, will open for Chuck.


             The T.B.Ferguson Home & Museum will hold its annual Tea fundraiser on May 6, 2018 at 2:00 PM at the First Baptist Church, 301 N. Noble, Watonga.  The theme will be "Pottery World  of Oklahoma" and a presentation on decorating with pottery will be given.  Tickets are $8.00 and must be bought in advance and can be purchased from any Friend of the Ferguson Member or call the museum at 580-623-5069 to reserve your seat.  Light refreshments will be served.  Email address is   historic.tbferguson home@gmail.com 

              As a final note for today, I appreciate the articles in this week's newspaper about improvement projects on buildings on Main Street.  Spring is upon us and will be a busy time, and I look forward to reading and sharing news from our area, not only on this blog but also on the Red Carpet Country tourism page because I am a proponent of the success of our town and of tourism as an economic development tool.  Have a great week!

/ Linda Barrett

 

APRIL News

Will Rogers famously said "If you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute and it'll change."  Sure enough, this spring's weather has been erratic to say the least -- 75 degrees one day and then a cold front comes down from the north and it's suddenly freezing temperatures, just after we've put outside all of the non-winter-hardy plants that have spent the winter in the house.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  The Cleanup Day at Roman Nose State Park scheduled for April 7 has been canceled due to bad weather, but RESCHEDULED for Saturday APRIL 14.  Same Time, Same Place.   Phoenix Circle Foundation is an affiliate of Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, and March through May is KOB's Great American Cleanup campaign.  We scheduled a clean-up day at Roman Nose State Park for Saturday, April 7, and have been promoting it heavily so that we get a good turnout of volunteers. Several groups have been involved in making this activity a community effort:  the staff at Roman Nose State Park, the Watonga Chamber of Commerce, Friends of Roman Nose State Park, the General Store at the Park.   Unfortunately, the event didn't make the news in our local newspaper this week.  I guess that was a good thing because the weather has taken a sudden turn back to winter and we've decided to reschedule the Clean-Up Day at Roman Nose State Park for APRIL 14, 2018, which will be a day with nice weather according to the long-term forecast. We're trying to get the word out about the date change by facebook and emails.

OTHER NEWS

YOU ARE INVITED TO AN INTIMATE HOUSE CONCERT WITH Oklahoma Singer/Songwriter 

CHUCK DUNLAP

 AT THE CHAPARRAL RETREAT & GUESTHOUSE  (www.chaparralbb.com)

4978 OK HWY 8A, the Road to ROMAN NOSE STATE PARK

Sunday, April 15, 2018         BYO Beverage and snack           4:00 PM –6:00 PM        Sponsored by Phoenix Circle Foundation, a nonprofit bringing the Arts to rural Oklahoma --suggested donation $10 to Phoenix Circle Foundation (requested but not required)

SINGER/SONGWRITER CHUCK DUNLAP is returning to his roots in Oklahoma. With a smooth blend of blues, folk, and alt-country music, Chuck Dunlap was on the ground floor in Stillwater, Oklahoma of the genre that is now pegged Red Dirt, contributing his expertise in defining the gap between country and rock music.
www.chuckdunlapmusic.com

“The influence of Chuck Dunlap on the Oklahoma musical tradition should not be under-rated....” -Chris B. Critter/Currentland
 
Chuck Dunlap is releasing his 10th album, “Full Circle” with four state tour including Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas and Colorado. Musical surprises on the album “Full Circle” include Red Dirt Pioneers, Randy Crouch and Monica Taylor as well as a host of other well-known Oklahoma musicians. By the way ... you never know who will join Chuck onstage!    We are honored to host Chuck on this tour.

Please tip the musicians generously to support their tour. Artist merchandise also available.

Space is limited. Courtesy RSVP at 580-623-4269 or click on “Going” on OKLAHOMA HOUSE CONCERTS Facebook Event.  --------- -------------------- -------------------- ------------------------ ----------------- --------------- APRIL 14, 2018 --  ROMAN NOSE STATE PARK and WATONGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE are hosting Movie in the Park at Roman Nose State Park, beginning at 7pm.  Fun Family Night.  See Roman Nose State Park facebook page for more information. ------------------------- ------------------- ------------------ --------------------- ----------------------- APRIL 27-29, 2018 - ROMAN NOSE HILLS TRAIL RIDE.  One of the best-organized, best-attended pleasure trail rides in Oklahoma, held twice a year, north of Watonga, Oklahoma. The event is sponsored by and proceeds benefit Watonga Kiwanis Club.   2-6 hour guided rides/Great Food Call in pre-registration encouraged - Jeff Fritz 580-830-0235. For more information, see their website www.romannosehillstrailride.com  -------------------- ----------------------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------- ------------  APRIL 24, 2018 -   Red Carpet Country Association Board of Directors' meeting will be held at Roman Nose State Park Lodge.  I am excited to be able to highlight our local state park and introduce the new Park Manager and staff to this tourism group.  Red Carpet Country is a state tourism organization that promotes 16 counties in Northwest and North Central Oklahoma, including Blaine County.  Check out Red Carpet Country at www.redcarpetcountry.com and on facebook.  WATCH THIS BLOG FOR MORE NEWS that doesn't get into our local newspaper.  I try to post any and all events I am aware of in Blaine County, on the Blaine County OK Community facebook page.  If anyone has information on an event, activity, new business etc. they would like to publicize, please send it to me by email to bar00legal@yahoo.com.   /Linda Barrett