Local News
Courthouse work put on hold
A crane hovered over the Grady County Courthouse. Workers from one construction company stood waiting to work.
Then the county commissioners met Monday – and the project was put on hold.
That’s because the commissioners have found themselves between the proverbial rock and hard place.
On Nov. 2, they hired one company, Commercial Roof Solutions, of Oklahoma City, to replace the courthouse roof, thinking that company had the lowest bid that met job specifications.
But, at the commissioners’ regular weekly meeting Monday, Tim Crawford of Crawford Roofing challenged the commissioners, insisting his company’s bid did meet specifications and saying his company should have been hired as lowest bidder.
Commercial Roof Solutions’ bid was for $90,868, while Crawford Roofing’s offer was $53,240. The project will be funded up to $90,000 with federal stimulus money.
Crawford suggested that the roof be tarred. District No. 1 Commissioner Windle Hardy said the bid required that roof be glued, rather than hot-tarred.
“Why were we rejected as low bidders?” Crawford said. “We did meet the specs, we will meet the specs. We had everything in the specifications. It’s your decision on what to do about it. There’s a $40,000 difference between us and the next bidder; why do you want to waste the taxpayers’ money?”
State Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole, a member of the Roof Consultants Institute and chief roof consultant for Wal-Mart Stores, spoke to the board on behalf of Crawford Roofing.
“The law reads, ‘you will award it to the lowest bidder,’” Coates said. “I would not be happy if my county commissioners over-paid for something unnecessarily.”
Coates also said the board is “likely to end up in hot water with the state auditor” for awarding the bid to the higher bidder rather then the lowest since the state auditor is watching the spending of stimulus dollars.
Commissioners were ready Monday to sign the contract with Commercial Roof Solutions, which had already sent workers from Guthrie to start removing a communications antenna on top of the roof. Before they could start, however, commissioners called them on the phone and advised them not to continue with the project.
Commissioners made several phone calls to the workers during the meeting and eventually told them to go back to Guthrie until the matter is resolved. Commissioners will consider the matter at their next Monday meeting, after District Attorney Bret Burns investigates the issue.
“It’s a darned if you do and darned if you don’t situation,” said District No. 3 Commissioner Jack Porter.
Porter said he is aware of the scrutiny and feels confident everything is being done correctly and that the state auditor is aware of how the tax dollars are being spent.
Crawford said he suggested the use of “hot mop asphalt” in his bid because he said it is a better roof; however, Hardy said the hot mop asphalt technique does not meet bid specs which call for glue instead.
Hardy said he had architect Robert Klein look over the bids and Klein determined that Crawford’s bid did not meet the job specifications.
The bid specification reads, “When insulation of roofing is to be adhered with hot asphalt, prime the deck with asphalt/concrete primer, ASTM D 41 at the rate of one gallon per 100 square feet. Allow the primer to dry prior to the application of the roofing system.”
The specifications don’t explicitly state that hot tar is to used or not used.
Crawford told the board he will not sue the county if commissioners admit that his company’s bid met specifications.
The bid for the traffic signal LED retrofit, loop repair and controller cabinet replacement for the city of Chickasha went to Traffic Signals, Inc. of Edmond for the price of $116,596.
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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?
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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.
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Transformations
