Local News
Disasters, scandal put festival in jeopardy
CHICKASHA — In the next year the Festival of Light board will face a tough decision: whether to close one of Chickasha’s most popular tourist attractions.
The Festival of Light brings more than 300,000 visitors to Chickasha each year, but recent financial losses could shut the event down.
“FOL is in a very delicate state right now and could easily be lost next year due to the adversity we have faced this year,” said spokesperson Kristi Davis, “The embezzlement, the losses and added expenses due to the flood, and now the loss of approximately 500,000 to 1 million lights.”
The financial state of the Festival was first rocked this year by the discovery in March that former treasurer Angie Jeffries had used more than $18,000 in festival funds to pay debts on her personal American Express Card. The money was allegedly embezzled between May of 2005 and September of 2006.
Jeffries pled guilty in September of this year. She received a sentence including 45 days in jail and community service, as well as restitution.
“Hopefully the embezzlement hasn't hurt the donations,” Davis said, “The embezzlement didn't take place at the point of donation plus the perpetrator was caught and punished so that is about all an organization can do.”
The losses continued through the wet summer as Chickasha was devastated by multiple flash floods.
Davis said the festival lost most of its gift shop merchandise, as well as some power boxes, big tree cords and electronic equipment due to the flooding. The festival also replaced $30,000 in lights that will more than likely have to be replaced again thanks to the recent ice storms.
Davis said the Festival is also facing cost increases.
“The cost of everything has quadrupled in the last 15 years if not more,” Davis said.
“The Festival of Light is still primarily a volunteer organization. We have one person on staff, our Park Supervisor, that works on an hourly basis during Festival Season,” Davis said, “Due to Insurance & Liability issues, we must contract decoration of the trees and electrical work to independent contractors rather than volunteers like in the ‘early’ days.”
Davis added, “Also, due to insurance liability issues, we had to order and/or rent new, safer equipment to install the big tree and the bridge which drives up the costs of installation drastically.”
The festival has $130,000 budget for the year, of which they have raised approximately $70,000, Davis said.
“We have to have a reserve of $40,000 to be able to put the show on for next year after this year's bills are paid,” Davis said. She added that the Festival of Light board will not know how much money is left over until the first of February.
If the board does not have enough money to continue by the end of the season, they do have two backup plans before resorting to closing the festival.
Davis said the board’s first step would be to go to the people, city government, and local businesses to find financial help.
“If we aren't able to get ample funding through that method, we'll go to a corporate sponsor,” Davis said, “although we want to keep it Chickasha's Festival of Light rather than ‘Big Corporation's’ Festival of Light in Chickasha.”
Davis said she doesn’t believe the Festival will need to find a corporate sponsor though.
“We believe the community will rally around us,” she said, “Chickasha is a great and very giving community. When they found out how bad we needed volunteers, they came and we got the park up and running and more beautiful than it has looked in a long time. The gates have been fully manned by volunteer groups and businesses in some pretty bad weather this season.”
- Local News
-
-
Transformations
What comes to mind when you think of the word, “Transformation”?Do you have fantastic thoughts of people or things changing into something amazing for example, Clark Kent turning into Superman or Bruce Banner becoming the Incredible Hulk or possibly something a little more down to earth like a caterpillar miraculously changing into the beautiful butterfly?
-
GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
Plants
Potted Plants
(Several varieties combined)
First: (Adult) Ann O'Bar
Second: (Adult) Joyce Riker
Third: (Adult) Jallane Link -
AROUND THE AREA
SEPTEMBER 2
Poetry Reading
• When: Sept. 2, 7 p.m.
• Where: Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, Private Room, 3127 S. 4th St., Chickasha
• Details: Featured Poet is Carol Hamilton, writer, storyteller and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma 1995-97Hamilton’s website is www.carolhamilton.org. There is no admission fee to attend the Poetry Reading, and refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, contact Rockford Johnson, 224-0160 or 317-7506. -
Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
OSU's Gundy still learning on job
STILLWATER (AP) — Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.
That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys. -
Whimsical metal work, jewelry part of big art show at USAO
A showing of whimsical metal work and jewelry is scheduled to be on display at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma during Helen’s Show Sept. 10-Oct 1.
The show will feature the work of USAO graduate Helen Shafer. The exhibition will be open daily during normal business hours in the Davis Hall Third Floor Art Gallery on the USAO campus. The show is free and open to the public. An opening reception is scheduled Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. -
High-speed chase lands 1 in jail
A high-speed motorcycle chase down Highway 81 last Wednesday landed a Ninnekah man in jail and a felony charge of eluding a police officer.
Court records show that James William Hutchins, 21, blew by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Parrish at U.S. Highway 81 and County Road 1460 and was clocked going 144 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone.
Parrish reported that he was sitting stationary at that location at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 25 when he observed a red motorcycle traveling southbound. He engaged his emergency lights and siren and pulled onto the roadway behind the Triumph motorcycle. -
5 inmates denied parole
Parole was recently denied for five Grady County inmates serving sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
The following individuals were denied at the August Pardon and Parole Board meeting:
• Jeremiah Daniel Cline, who is serving a five-year sentence for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, began his sentence in August 2008.
• Warren P. Diego, who is serving a 15-year sentence (10 years PTS) for lewd molestation, began his sentence in February 2009. -
Judge recuses herself from pharmacy case
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state district judge has stepped aside from the first-degree murder trial of a pharmacist accused in the fatal shooting of an unconscious would-be robber.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Transformations
