Spencer City Star

Monthly Newsletter

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!

A key part of our democracy is the right to choose leaders, policies, and express values through the election process. The month of November is a key month for voting at Federal, State, and County levels. This is the month where officials for these levels of government are normally chosen. Key positions up for election on November 7th are: County Commissioner, County Assessor, District Attorney, District Judge, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Labor, Insurance Commissioner, Corporation Commissioner, U.S. Rep. District 5. Spencer has two polling places: True Vine Ministries, located at 3701 N. Spencer Rd and the Spencer Seniors Building at 3500 McCoy Drive (behind the Spencer Fire Department). Polling places open at 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If you will be out of town or unable to report to your polling place on November 7th or any other election day, please contact the County Election Board regarding absentee voting procedures. The Oklahoma County Election Board is located at 4201 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City, or call at (405) 713-1515. Municipal Elections for the City of Spencer will take place in April 3^rd, 2007.  Terms are expiring for Ward 1 and Ward 2 City Council positions.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO

TO REGISTER TO VOTE!!

You must be: At least 18 years old, A United States citizen, A resident of Oklahoma. Voting restrictions apply to those who have been: Convicted of a felony may not register until a period of time equal to the original judgment and sentence has expired. Adjudged to be an incapacitated person may not register. Adjudged to be a partially incapacitated person prohibited from voting may not register. Once you’ve determined eligibility, you must complete a Oklahoma Voter Registration Application. Voter Applications are available at Spencer City Hall by contacting Sheila Bell.  They are also available at tag agencies, many local churches, post offices, and public libraries.  You can also get applications at the State and County Election Boards or submit a request that an application be mailed to you. Applications may also be downloaded at the State Election Board website:  http://www.state.ok.us/~elections/voterreg.html. Information for this article was compiled through the Oklahoma County and Oklahoma Election Board websites.

MEETING WITH JIM ROTH

During the month of August of 2006, City of Spencer Officials met with County Commission Jim Roth and his staff concerning upcoming projects and their priority.  The county and city officials reviewed work that was completed during the 05-06 fiscal year, such as maintenance and upkeep on city streets, mowing at Kringlen Park, clearing land for the new public works building, as well as new paving projects scheduled for arterial and section line roads.  Priority paving for section line roads are Douglas Blvd., Spencer Road, and 36^th Street east to Post Road.  A list of arterial (neighborhood) streets will also be repaved and/or surfaced.  For a full listing of streets and their paving priority, see the city’s website (www.cityofspencer.us).

SPENCER CHAMPIONS

On October 24th the Spencer Cougars, 8 & 9 year old division, clinched the Eastern Oklahoma City Conference and will be playing in the Oklahoma City Football League (OCFL) playoffs on November 5th in Midwest City. Over the previous weekend the Spencer Cougars, 9 year old division, participated in the Midwest City Football Tournament and defeated the Falcons 9 to 6 in the Championship Game to win 1st place, and the 11 & 8 year old division finished in 4th in the tournament. ”Spencer Cougar youth football was started when a group of former Cougars, who played in early 80 's, decided that the children in the Spencer community deserved the same opportunity that they had as children.” said Byron Williams. He added “With the help of dedicated and caring volunteers, and sponsors this year the team has expanded to three teams, and a fourth is coming on board next year.” The Cougar’s Head Coach is Mr. C.T Wright. Assistant Coaches include Mr. Theron Talley, Mr. Dreco Mason, and Mr. Tramaine Foreman.

YOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE

Slow down on Saturday mornings!! Youth Community Service Crews will be out picking up roadside trash every Saturday through Nov. 11^th  from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon.  For the safety of the supervisors and the youth, please be courteous and slow down when you see these crews out working.  The first crew went out Saturday, October 21^st and eight (8) bags of trash and bulk waste were collected along Douglas Blvd., Spencer Road and various city streets.  This project was implemented in conjunction with local school officials as a deterrent for youth offenders.

BAND REPRESENTS SPENCER IN ARKANSAS

On October 20, 2006 the award winning Rogers Middle School Band traveled to University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to represent the City of Spencer, the State of Oklahoma, and to celebrate Pine Bluff’s Homecoming.  In a letter to band supporters, Charles D. Moore explained the importance of the overall experience and “the positive affects that extra-curricular band related activities can have on a student “The trip included a one night stay in Little Rock, AR, a tour of the “Little Rock Nine” Black History Museum, Bill Clinton Library, and a tour of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Museum and Cultural Center. Mr. Moore anticipates the experience will “encourage the students of the band to pursue a college education.” He also stated that the trip was essential in broadening the students’ horizons.  Congratulations Rogers, keep up the good work.

Do you have furniture with nicks, scratches, dents, cigarette burns, water damage, stains or spills then Rx Furniture Medic is the prescription for your damaged furniture. Rx specializes in furniture restoration, including antique furniture. General Repairs include: Upholstery repair, buffing tabletops, replacing broken glass, recliner/sofa mechanism repair or replacement, mending broken parts, and chair regaling. Other services include: Cabinet repair, insurance claims, moving damage and complete refinishing. Rx Furniture Medic is located in Old Town Spencer, on the corner of 51st and Indiana. Business hours are Monday—Wednesday from 9a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Thursday—Sunday. They also make housecalls, so if you’re in need of a furniture medic...call (405) 741-4234.

The City of Spencer has met with officials from the City County Health Department, Youth Tobacco Initiative, and officials from Rogers and Star Spencer High School. We learned some startling facts about the marketing of nicotine in communities where minorities make up a large portion of the students or citizens. The Department of Public Health of Massachusetts issued a report stating that nicotine levels of the cigarettes marketed and sold in these areas were ten (10%) percent higher than other areas. This increases the probability of youth in our area getting hooked on nicotine at a young age and becoming life time consumers of this harmful product. Our plan of action is to recruit as many youth in Spencer and at least two adult sponsors to participate in SWAT! SWAT is an acronym that stands for Students Working Against Tobacco. The SWAT crew will undergo intense training to work amongst their peers to prevent youth smoking as well as assist with identifying convenience store clerks who DO NOT CARD prior to selling to tobacco products. Any violations will be cited by the Spencer  Police and reported to the ABLE Commission. If you know a  young person, or an adult, who is interested in participation in this valuable program, please contact PEAK Coordinator, Shenice Huff at 424-0085 or slhuff@urganleagueok.org

In the U.S., approximately 40 percent of all domestic water consumed is flushed down the toilet. One person using an older 5.5 gallon flush toilet will use 13,000 gallons of fresh water per year to dispose of 165 gallons of body waste.  The average family uses 21.7% of their water washing clothes, 1.4% washing dishes, 15.7% using faucets, 16.8% showering, 13.7% on leaks, 1.7% taking baths, and 2.2% on other uses. Here are the approximate volumes of home use:  Bath (30-40 gallons) *Shower (5 gallons) per minute * Washing clothes (20-30 gallons) * Flushing a toilet (3-4 gallons) or more * Dishwasher (15 gallons) per load * Cooking (8 gallons) per day * Watering a lawn (10 gallons) per minute. Tips on how to save water in your home:

Save Water in the Bathroom Check all faucets, pipes, and toilets periodically for leaks A faucet drip or invisible leak in the toilet will add up to 15 gallons of water a day, or 105 gallons a week, which adds up to 5,475 gallons of wasted water a year. Check your flapper periodically to make sure it's a tight fit.  Install water saving shower heads. Low-flow showerheads deliver 2.5 gallons of water per minute or less and are relatively inexpensive. Older showerheads use 5 to 7 gallons per minute. Take shorter showers or take a bath Simply taking shorter showers will save gallons of water. For long exposures to the water, a partially filled bath instead of a shower will use less water. Install a 1.6 gallon low-flow toilet Ultra-low flow toilets use only 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Using these could cut indoor water use by as much as 20%. Older toilets use 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Check for toilet leaks Once a year, check for toilet leaks. Remove the toilet tank cover and drip 10 drops of food coloring into the tank. After 15 minutes, check for color in the toilet bowl. If you see any color, your toilet has a leak and should be repaired immediately. Again, remember to check your flapper periodically to make sure it's a tight fit.  Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket Using a wastebasket instead of the toilet for tissues and other bits of trash will save gallons of water that are otherwise wasted.  Install high efficiency, low-flow faucet aerators Older faucets use between 3 and 7 gallons per minute. Low-flow faucet aerators use no more than 1.5 gallons of water per minute. The aerators can be attached to most existing faucets.  Fix leaky faucets immediately A leaky faucet may simply need a new washer. Small faucet leaks can waste 20 gallons of water a day. Large leaks can waste hundreds of gallons.  Turn off the water while shaving, brushing teeth, etc. Don't let the water run when you brush your teeth, wash your face or hands, or shave. This can save 3 to 7 gallons per minute.

Save Water in the Kitchen and Laundry Fill your dishwasher Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water whether it is full or just partially full of dishes, so be sure to fill it. Many dishwashers have a water saver cycle to save even more water.  Keep drinking water in your refrigerator Don't let the faucet run until the water cools down. Instead, keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running faucets waste 3 to 7 gallons of water per minute. Before rinsing, put the sink stopper in place instead of running the water. If you need to use the garbage disposal, release the used sink water as the disposal is turned on.  Defrost food in the refrigerator When defrosting food, plan ahead to thaw it in the refrigerator or microwave oven instead of under running water.  Select proper water level for laundry Unlike your dishwasher, you can control the amount of water used by your clothes washers. Select the proper water level for each load of laundry. A front load washing machine uses 1/3 less water than a top loading machine.

2-1-1 is a national abbreviated dialing code for free access to health and human services information and referral. 2-1-1 connects individuals and families in need (low income) to the appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies. This number can be dialed from anywhere in the county and is manned by an operator that will help citizen find a variety of social services available in the county. 

Each year in the United States, 5 to 20 percent of the population contracts the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized because of flu complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  If you are interested in the flu shot, Spencer’s Senior Citizen Center will offer vaccinations on November 14th, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. There  is no charge for Medicaid participants. Prices are otherwise $30.00.  For more information call the Senior Center at 771-5354.