Chamber Chimes

May 19, 2010

Can you believe that school is almost out?  I’m sure that the students don’t feel it has gone nearly as quickly as the rest of us do!  Congratulations to the Watonga High School class of 2010 – your community is proud of you and wishes you the best of luck.  We hope that you will fly off into the great wide world, have wonderful experiences and continue your education, but not forget your hometown.  Remember that the opportunities for you to bring your education and aspirations back home after college begin with YOU!  While you work on your degree, listen to your entrepreneurial spirit and ask yourself, “Why not Watonga?”

Watonga was lucky, once again, in avoiding some of the terrible weather that has passed nearby recently.  In anticipation of heavy rains, however, the Roman Nose Mountain Bike Festival (put on by Wheeler Dealer Bicycle or OKC) was rescheduled to this Sunday, May 23^rd.  If you are at all interested in riding this race (or even just being a spectator), come on out to the General Store area at Roman Nose starting at 9:00am.  There are classes by age level and skill level, so don’t be shy.  This is revered as one of the best mountain bike trails in the region and it just happens to be in our own backyard!  Roman Nose is truly a spectacular park and, besides events like these, you can be involved in supporting it through the Friends of Roman Nose State Park organization.  A meeting will be held for this organization on Thursday, May 20^th at 5:30 at the Golf Shop and you are welcome to attend.

Keep your Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend open as the Cheese Festival Entertainment Committee has another great program scheduled.  Watonga’s own Roy Gonzales, of Speedy and the Runaways fame, will be playing at the Liberty Theatre at 7:00.  With him will be his daughter Marcy who is an accomplished mezzo soprano.  It is also reunion weekend, so you might likely hookup with some of your friends and acquaintances from long ago that evening.

I want to remind everyone also that the Community Calendar is up and going on the Chamber website (www.watongachamber.com).  Please keep me in mind when planning events and let me know all the particulars.  I’d love to add your benefit dinners, fundraisers, and community events to the site so everyone knows what is going on when, but I can’t do it without your input.  So keep me in mind, keep me in the loop and keep me posted on all the great stuff that goes on in Watonga!

And don’t forget the Town Wide Garage sale!  It will be June 5^th and we are currently accepting listings.  Call the chamber at 623-5452 or stop in to pay your registration fee of $5 to be added to the list.  This will be advertised all over northwestern Oklahoma, so let’s have lots of sales to offer!

Has the great weather inspired you to start clearing the yard and house of the winter’s clutter?  It sure seems to be a common activity these days from what I am seeing.  We have a lot of inquiries about the Town Wide Garage Sale and donations to the Cheese Festival Committee’s garage sale, which we appreciate.  We will once again host the Town Wide Garage Sale on the first Saturday of June, this year falling on the 5th.  If you want to have a sale during this time, you will be able to add you name to the list that the Chamber publishes.  The cost to be added is $5 and goes to offset the cost of advertising which will be done in locations around northwestern Oklahoma.  The lists will be made available the day of the sale at local convenience stores.  Feel free to contact the Chamber at 623-5452 for more information.

Be sure to give yourself a break from all the garage sale and yard work preparations going on to enjoy some great events coming up in Watonga.  Sunday, May 16^th is the Roman Nose Mountain Bike Festival.  Riders in this multi-category race come from all over the state and claim it is one of the best riding trails in the Oklahoma region.  It is organized by Wheeler Dealer Bicycle Shop in Oklahoma City.  If you are a mountain biker or just a spectator and interested in more information you can go to their website at www.wheelerdealerbicycles.com or call them at 800-773-1933. 

The last weekend of the month is Memorial Day weekend and for anyone not going out of town, there will be a lot to do.  That Friday (4/28) the Cheese Festival Entertainment committee will present Roy Gonzales at the Liberty Theatre.  His shows are always enjoyed and well attended and being during the Reunion weekend, I expect a packed house.  Then on Saturday, the Pioneer Day festivities (put on by Main Street) will be downtown.  They would love to have a ton of entries in the parade and bed races, so if you are interested please call Bob at 623-2200 and definitely plan to attend this fun day.

The Community Calendar is now up on our website!  Go to www.watongachamber.com and click on the “Calendar” tab at the top.  I will try to keep this as up to date as possible, but I need input for best results.  Please let me know of anything that needs to be added such as plays, community meetings, benefit dinners, etc.  Without the information being sent to me, I will not be able to make this as useful of a tool as it should be.  I offer my appreciation in advance to anyone who makes note of this and forwards me information.

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