Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence
New Rotary Club president Tom Phillips is the 108th president of the Rotary Club 29. He was recognized at an inaugural reception at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. Page B1.
Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Trustee Jari Askins greets Rev. Teddy Wilson, OKC Fire Department chaplain, who delivered the Academic Awards Banquet invocation. Page B2.
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 52 No. 12 • Two Sections • 18 pages July 20, 2018
www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday Serving affluent far north Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills and The Village for 44 years
NHills initiates condemnation process on dilapidated house By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer The Nichols Hills City Council has initiated steps to condemn a vacant house that was heavily damaged in a fire five months ago and is literally boarded up. The house, at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Norwood Place, burned in a
fire on Feb. 1, Nichols Hills Fire Department records show. However, few repairs have been made since then. Consequently, the house is “unsightly” and “abominable” and detracts from neighborhood property values, including that of a house across the street that’s for sale, Mayor Peter Hoffman said. Councilman Sody Clements
said she agreed. “It’s an invitation to vandals, hoboes and thieves who are stealing wire.” Renovation of the house began approximately two years ago, but was proceeding “at a snail’s pace” even before the fire, Diana Beeler told the council. See NHILLS, Page 3
- Photo by Mike W. Ray
The Nichols Hills City Council has initiated proceedings to have this fire-damaged house at 1620 Norwood Place demolished.
City is looking out for ‘well’ being of residents By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer
Reading is FUNdamental Beating the summer heat with a good book are from left, Aundrea Walter, 10, and Zinae Wright, 11. The Village Library is a great place to get out of the intense Oklahoma summer temperatures.
- Photo by Ron Vavak
Nichols Hills will spend almost two-thirds of a million dollars to redrill one of its older water wells. The City Council awarded a $641,173 contract to Layne Christensen Co. of Guthrie, the lower of two bidders, to redrill well No. 23. The new well is set to be developed 50 feet from the existing well and will extend to a depth of 700 to 725 feet, Nichols Hills Public Works Director Randy Lawrence said. The winning bid was almost $12,000 higher than the cost estimate of City Engineer Karl Baldischwiler, but was $141,000 lower than the second bid submitted by a Kansas contractor. The project cost includes demolition of the existing well house and construction of a new one, drilling test wells, completing
and disinfecting the production well, extensive test pumping to confirm the well’s production capability, the pump, motor and pipes for the new well, electrical equipment and controls plus a standby emergency power generator and fencing around the well site. The improvements are financed with proceeds from a $22 million general-obligation bond issue Nichols Hills voters approved in January 2015, City Manager Shane Pate said. The redrills of well No. 23 and another that is scheduled to be replaced this year are “part of our ongoing water well rehabilitation program,” Lawrence said. “This updates our 60-plus yearold wells. And in doing so, it gives us a chance to do more testing for better water quality and production along with newly See WELL, Page 3
Village endorses residential water, sewer line insurance program By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer The Village City Council has given its blessing to a residential insurance program that covers water and sewer lines. The council approved a marketing agreement with Utility Service Partners (USP), a private company that “partners with cities
and towns across the U.S. to provide homeowners with affordable service line warranty protection,” company representative Ashley Shiwarski said. The program provides coverage from leaks, breaks and clogs in external water and sewer lines and inhome plumbing and drainage, she said. The warranty covers failures due to
normal wear and tear, the service agreement provides. Damages, losses and expenses attributed to negligence, or from thawing of frozen pipes, are not covered. Shiwarski told The Village council that premiums for the insurance are $5.75 per month for external water lines, $7.75 per month for external sewer
OKC seeking water testing volunteers Oklahoma City’s Utilities Department is offering free lead and copper testing for water customers who have lead water service lines on their property. The testing is conducted in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule. Residents who get their water from private wells do not qualify. Customers eligible for testing include those with houses built before 1960 and/or those who have
confirmed lead service lines on their property. To find out if you have lead lines, hire a private plumber to inspect your service lines, or test the lines yourself. Lead lines are dull gray in color and the metal is soft enough that you can easily scratch it with a coin or key. City staff will deliver a testing kit to eligible households. Collect water according to the instructions on the testing kit, and city staff will pick it
up within 48 hours. The test results will be added to a database with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, so the City can track homes known to have lead piping. Each participating customer will receive a letter with the test results. To request testing, call 297-3483 or email water@okc.gov. For more information about lead pipes or the city’s lead testing program, visit okc.gov/water.
lines, and $9.99 each month for coverage of in-home repairs to water/sewer lines. Most homeowner insurance policies will pay to repair damage created by failed utility lines, “but they generally do not pay to repair the actual broken pipes or lines,” Shiwarski said. The marketing agreement between USP and the
City of The Village stipulates that the company will pay up to $8,500 for each service call. There are no deductibles, permit fees nor lifetime or annual limits, Shiwarski said. The service line warranty program is strictly voluntary and is exclusively for residential customers, not See VILLAGE, Page 3
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week Oliver is Rusty and Julie Jones’ sweet fur baby. He is a 7-month-old Yorkie Poo. He loves playing outside and Sunday afternoon drives through town. Oliver’s trademark is his quirky ears. One is always up and the other floppy. Send Dog of the Week, Cat of the Week and Baby of the Week nominations with complete descriptions to rose@okcfriday.com. Submissions are used in the order they are received.
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