CMR 5-26-11

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Home of the Great Salt Plains & the Selenite Hourglass Crystal

CHEROKEE

MESSENGER & REPUBLICAN Vol. 109 No. 26 – 14 Pages, 1 Section

Farmers market to debut MainStreet Market Place will make its grand debut Thursday, June 2, with the help of local Relay for Life teams and the band Lockers in the Hall. The local farmers market will feature homegrown vegetables from area gardeners and producers from 4 to 7 p.m. on the east side of the Armory building, 2nd Street and Kansas Avenue. Spaces for the market are $20 for the entire season and can be reserved by calling Main Street Program Manager Susie Koontz at (580) 596-3375, ext. 122. Relay for Life team “Kickin’ Cancer from Coast to Coast” will sell sno cones and drinks beginning at 6 p.m. to help raise money for the June 24 Relay for Life event. Another local Relay team, “Families for More Birthdays,” will sell walking tacos or host a taco pileon. “We’ve batted around a couple different things,” said team member Cheryl Poe. This year’s 2011 Relay for Life for Woods and Alfalfa Counties will take place from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the downtown square in Alva. Poe said anyone interested in walking at the event is welcome to join Families for More Birthdays. “We could still have a half a dozen more on our team,” Poe said. Details are available at the Relay for Life website, main.acsevents.org. Also making a debut in Cherokee is the band Lockers in the Hall. The band, originating from Grant County, will play at 6 p.m. in front of the Armory. See MARKET Page 3

Cherokee, (Alfalfa County) Oklahoma

County doubts city’s E-911 funding Commissioner Murrow tells city, ‘Show me the money’ By KORINA DOVE Messenger & Republican Staff Alfalfa County will pay for the signage and mapping involved with the county’s Enhanced 911 system, and the City of Cherokee will operate the call center – if officials can override county commissioners’ doubts that the city can afford to take on the major project. During a joint public meeting Monday of the Cherokee City Commission and Alfalfa County Board of Commissioners, city officials told county commissioners for the umpteenth time they are prepared financially to take on the long-term task of fielding 911 calls for the entire county. County Commissioner Doug Murrow originally suggested the county join forces with the Woods County 911 system, which also dispatches calls for Grant County. However, Cherokee city officials and a majority

Hats off to the graduates... GRYFFIN BECKER, 10-month-old nephew of Cherokee graduate Taylor Harmon, finds more fun in his uncle’s mortarboard and tassel than the actual graduation ceremony, which took place at 7 p.m. Friday in the high school auditorium. Harmon’s cousin, Christian Greenwood of Oklahoma City, tried on Harmon’s graduation cap following commencement exercises. Griffin is the son of Cherokee High School graduate Cortney Harmon and the great-grandson of Roger and Judith Kildow of Cherokee. Christian is Kildow’s grandson and the son of CHS graduate Channon Greenwood.

Memorial Day service Monday Starts at 11 a.m.; wreath will be laid at monument A Memorial Day service at the Cherokee Municipal Cemetery has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday. Mayor Karen Hawkins will welcome those attending. Aaron Hoggard will be the featured speaker at the annual event and the Rev. Ed Jones of the Bethel Baptist Church will sing.

A local military member will lay a wreath at the foot of the cemetery’s Veterans’ Monument in honor of local vets. Memorials and flowers can be left on gravesites until June 10. City crews will pick up any items left at the cemetery after that time.

County sales tax receipts up $191M in May Tax coffers grow by nearly $873,000 over 7 months; ‘use’ tax up $189M in May By STEVE BOOHER Messenger & Republican Staff Alfalfa County's remarkable climb in sales tax collections continued its upward trend in May, showing an increase of $191,427 over May of 2010. The county collected $69,866 in sales tax in May of 2010 compared to $261,293 in May of this year. Over the seven month period from November 2010 through May 2010, Alfalfa County's sales tax receipts have grown $872,972. County coffers also got an unexpected boost when the use tax came in at $188,919 for May of this year compared to only

Inside today... Wheat Price.............................. 3 Opinions................................... 4 Lifestyles.................................. 5 Funerals................................... 6 Sports....................................... 8 Legals................... 10, 11, 12, 13 Classifieds............................. 13

Thursday, May 26, 2011 – 50¢

$2,286 in May of 2010 – an increase of $186,633. Between the sales tax and use tax, the county experienced a growth of $378,060 in May of 2011 compared to a year ago in May. "Use" taxes are those collected upon purchases made out of state for use in the county by firms using those materials to conduct business here. Use taxes are collected by not only the county, but also most municipalities within the county. It's generally accepted that the increase in the county's sales and use taxes can be attributed almost exclusively to the oil and gas boom.

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Flowers are nice reward for Mom at Cherokee High School commencement.

Cherokee has also seen a hefty hike in sales tax receipts. Latest figures from the Tax Commission show the city collected $48,106 in May of this year compared to $31,911 in May 2010 – a difference of $16,195. Over the past seven months, Cherokee's sales tax receipts have grown $87,673 over the same seven months of a year ago. While Cherokee, Aline, Burlington, Byron and Carmen all enjoyed higher sales tax collections in May of 2011 over May 2010, receipts for Helena, Goltry and Jet were down compared to the same month a year

ago. Statewide, the Tax Commission returned $117,887,210 in sales taxes to 508 cities and towns in May, which is a reflection of business conducted in March. That compared to $112,171,804 distributed to 505 cities and towns in May of 2010 – an increase of $5,715,406. Accompanying this story are charts for the month of May, indicating sales taxes distributed to all municipalities within the county, as well as several surrounding communities. It also details sales tax collections by not just Alfalfa County, but also Grant, Major and Woods counties.

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Masons honor Heidi Newlin with ‘Teacher of Today’ at assembly.

of the 17 individuals who attended Monday’s meeting are adamant about keeping the center in Cherokee and Alfalfa County. A proposal presented at an April 28 joint meeting outlines the city’s plan to fund a statemandated E-911 call center, but Murrow said Monday he wants specific numbers on paper. “The last proposal said you could handle it, but we want to know how you can handle it,” Murrow told Cherokee City Manager Don Bowman and city commissioners. “How are we going to fund this thing? How are you going to do it? “If we can afford to have this in Alfalfa County, then let’s go for it … but we need to see proof that we can.” THE PLAN The original proposal, drawn up by City Attorney Bryce Kennedy and presented to Murrow See E-911 Page 3

Busy summer for kids Summer Youth enrolling; starts June 6 By KORINA DOVE Messenger & Republican Staff It doesn’t take long for boredom to set in with kids on summer break, but youngsters in Cherokee won’t be able to claim summertime blues. Cherokee Youth Foundation volunteers, along with CityCounty Public Library and City of Cherokee officials, have put together a schedule of activities that will keep youngsters busy for weeks. CHEROKEE YOUTH FOUNDATION Enrollment for Summer Youth 2011 is open and activities are slated to take place from June 6 through July 1. Enrollment forms can be picked

City Aline Burlington Byron Carmen Cherokee Goltry Helena Jet Nash

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Alfalfa Grant Major Woods

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Aline Carmen Cherokee Goltry Helena Jet

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Alfalfa Grant Major Woods

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up and turned in at Farmers Exchange Bank. Forms are due by June 3. Director Jennifer Roach said a new activity has been added this year, and students will have plenty of activities in which to participate. “This year we’re adding soccer,” Roach said. “Last year we added kickball and it was so fun. The kids loved it.” She also said the schedule allows children to pick and choose several activities. “I am really excited about the schedule because it is thought out so that the kids don’t have to choose between two things that See YOUTH Page 2

CITY SALES TAX May 2011 Tax Rate 521 .0100 1,584 .0100 547 .0100 3,447 .0300 48,106 .0325 924 .0300 10,156 .0300 2,760 .0300 2,043 .0300 COUNTY SALES TAX 261,293 .0200 102,588 .0000 16,807 .0025 98,480 .0050 CITY USE TAX 14 .0100 359 .0300 8,874 .0325 100 .0300 1,270 .0300 134 .0300 COUNTY USE TAX 188,919 .0200 15,054 .0100 833 .0025 4,552 .0050

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T’lake quartet competes at Champs Meet after wins at State Track.

May 2010 + or 438 +83 881 +703 187 +360 3,740 +293 31,911 +16,195 3,451 -2,527 10,671 -515 3,848 -1,088 2,214 -171 69,866 +191,427 00,000 +102,588 14,113 +2,694 70,219 +28,261 34 516 2,767 346 413 285

+20 -157 +6,107 -246 +857 -151

2,286 +186,633 4,629 +10,425 974 -141 4,204 +348


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