NHS Graduation Saturday
Morning
Leven, Moore, Perry, Smith
Valedictorians
Skyler Moore
Lauren Leven
Taylor Smith
Justin Perry
Fifty-seven Newkirk seniors
will receive diplomas Saturday morning at Mark Branch Fieldhouse
on the Newkirk High School campus.
Baccalaureatte is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at the NHS Auditorium.
Gradution exercises are set to begin at 10 a.m.
The Newkirk Class of 2008 has four valedictorians. They are Lauren
Leven, Taylor M. Smith, Skyler Moore, and Justin Perry.
The Newkirk High School Class of 2008 will be presented by principal
Dwight Winburn and accepted by superintendent Carl Barnes. Barnes
will also present the charge to the Class of 2008.
Diplomas will be presented by Board of Education President Keith
Bowen.
The NHS Band will play the Processional and Recessional, "Pomp
and Circumstance."
Caleb Sherron will sing, "I'm Moving Out".
The invocation will be given by Taylor M. Smith, the flag salute
led by Lauren Leven, and the benediction by Audrey Johnston.
The valedictorian addresses will be given by Lauren Leven and
Skyler Moore.
The marshalls will be Matthew Branson and Jessi Butler.
The ushers will be Maxx Goad, Brennen Shelton, Kaylyn Pulley,
and Leah Peters.
Class Officers for the Senior Class include President, Lauren
Leven; Vice-President, Audrey Johnston; Secretary, Taylor M.
Smith; Treasurer, Justin Perry.
The Senior Class Roll for 2008 includes Rakan Mohammad Suleiman,
Mohammad Mousa Al-Dablan, Al-Adwan, Jennifer Leanne Allen, Christopher
Pake Aupperle, Amy Nicole Billings, Michelle Annette Birdwell,
Alysia Michelle Bohannon, Daniel B. Boring, Paige Elaine Boyer,
Michaek Dean Coots, Stephanie Lee Douglas, Courtney Nicole Erickson,
Tyler Edward Evans, Kristina Ann Gibson, Jessica Nicole Glover,
Devon Victoria Gregory.
Audrey Anne Johnston, Matthew James Kubik, Amanda Marie Lake,
Colton Wayne Leaming, Tyler Wayne Leaming, Lauren Rose Leven,
Tyler Duane McCombs, Stefann Dannelle McConnell, Mason Trevor
Meeks, Daniel Andrew Merz, Garrett Allen Meyer, Rebecka Elaine
Miller, Skyler Anthony Moore.
Thomas Alan Moreau, Jesse Robert Osburn, Clayton Deamer Pappan,
Kayla J. Parker, Justin James Perry, Caroline Brittany Roberts,
Jeremy LeRoy Rowe, Patrick James Schmitz, Calie Jo Sebor, Caleb
Andrew Sherron, Kali Ann Siler, Taylor Marie Smith, Tiffany Ranae
Smith, Erica Anne Strange, Edward Joseph Strother, Kyle James
Summitt.
Megan Elizabeth Sweeney, Michael Shane Team, Chase Anthony Turner,
Matthew Tyler Vap, Taylor Leigh Voegele, Tori Lace Walton, Keaton
Wesley Whatley, Lance Justin White, Brady Allen Wilson, Victor
Joseph Wolf, Kristopher Neal Wooters, Britney Renee Zarth.
Voters Pass County
Sales
Tax For New Jail
by Scott Cloud
Kay County voters overwhelmingly approved a 2/3 cent sales tax
to build a new Kay County jail in Tuesday's special election.
The issue passed 3,038-1,704 with 64 percent approving the measure.
Kay County Justice Facilities Authority Chairman Bruce Robinson
was ecstatic at the news Tuesday night.
"I am walking on the clouds right now," Robinson said.
"I was very pleased with the margin although I was disappointed
in the voter turnout."
Turnout was very light with only 4700 voters casting ballots
in the special election.
Robinson was very complimentary of the other authority members.
"I am so proud of the authority for working through the
tough issues we faced," he said. "And then coming to
what was the best solution for the county."
Robinson also said he was proud of the county voters.
"I think the voters saw the need for the county and were
willing to take a very important step."
Kay County District Three Commissioner Laile Wilson, also a member
of the justice facilities authority, was extremely pleased with
the outcome.
"I am so proud of the voters of Kay County for stepping
up to the plate on this very important safety issue," Wilson
said.
Wilson added that he is proud of the work the authority has done
on the jail issue.
"For the past year and a half, the authority has been meeting
and facing some tough decisions,' Wilson added. "Those decisions
have not been easy by any means but the authority made those
decisions in attempting to do what they thought was best for
the county."
DEQ Experts Meets
With
City Commission On Water Issues
Experts from the Oklahoma
Department of Environmental Quality met with the Newkirk City
Commission Monday night in an effort to solve the city's water
compliance issues with the DEQ.
The city has been under a "Notice of Violation" for
excessive TTHM's in Newkirk drinking water.
Since the second quarter of 2006, the city's average TTHM for
each quarter has exceeded the 80 parts per billion limit mandated
by the DEQ.
TTHM's are formed when chlorine, used to disinfect city water,
reacts with organic compounds in the water supply, causing TTHM's.
DEQ officials said Monday night that high TTHM's can cause health
problems over an 80 year period. Cities with a population of
under 10,000 have only recently been required to test for TTHM's,
as per an Environmental Protection Agency mandate. DEQ officials
claim that a number of Oklahoma cities and towns suffer from
high TTHM's.
DEQ water experts Dave Mercer, Kay Caffee, and Steve Hoffman
attended Monday's meeting along with Newkirk Water Superintendent
Greg Summitt.
Dave Mercer opened the discussion at the meeting, discussing
some water samples that were taken from three municipal wells.
Mercer said that tests concluded the east well had less organic
compounds than the central and west wells.
Mercer said the DEQ testing, as well as testing performed by
Accurate Labs, shows the trends that may aid the city in reducing
the TTHM's in the city water. Mercer had the following recommendations:
(1) Continue testing the individual wells for organic compounds
and determine if mostly utilizing the wells with less organic
compounds reduces the TTHM's in the water supply.
(2) Continue a chlorination study to determine if moving the
chlorine feed to the end of the treatment process might reduce
the TTHM's.
DEQ officials were complimentary of the city's efforts to reduce
the TTHM's and come into compliance with the "Notice of
Violation."
"There is no magic bullet," said Kay Caffee of the
process to reduce TTHM's. "There are a lot of ideas that
can be implemented and hopefully when you put them all together,
the city can come into compliance. There isn't just one thing
that you can do, it's any number of things that work in conjunction
to get the desired result."
"The city has already made some good strides," she
added.
A number of ideas were discussed including the flushing of the
water system to keep the water fresh, a program the city has
already started according to water superintendent Summitt. Another
idea was the adding chlorine to the water system as late as possible
to reduce the time the chlorine is in the system, thus reducing
the time the organic compounds react with the chlorinated water.
DEQ officials said the future test results will determine if
these measures have been successful.
"It will be interesting to see the test results for the
next quarter," Mercer said. "They will tell us if we
are on the right track."
The DEQ has aided the city to do on-site testing, reducing the
cost of the test from $120 per test to $10 per test. The on-site
test also provides immediate results.
DEQ official Steve Hoffman compared controlling TTHM's to a balancing
act.
"We have to have chlorine to disinfect the water,"
he said. "But too much causes high organic compounds so
it's finding just the right amount to keep the TTHM's under the
limit. It is a trial and error process."
City manager Harold Harris said the city has used all the tools
at its disposal.
"We have been in constant communication with our engineer,
Accurate Labs, and the DEQ to help in this process," Harris
said. "And we'll continue until we come into compliance."
Senior Center Receives
Gift
Newkirk City Manager Harold
Harris announced Monday night that the Senior Citizens received
another $100,000 from the Peel Foundation, allowing the beginning
of construction on the Senior Citizens/Community Center.
Harris also said that Sooner Construction of Ponca City was the
low bidder on the project and will be awarded the bid.
The city manager added that the project was stalemated due to
the bids on the project coming in higher than anticipated for
the project. Sooner Construction bid $603,000 on the project
with the center budgeting $450,000 for the project.
The center will be located on South Street just east of Heartland
IGA.
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