Thursday, Sept. 24, 1970
Cordell quiet; no crime, fire
“ It sure has been peaceful around Cordell these last few weeks. “ Cordell police chief Eby Don Walters commented Monday, Sept. 21.
Walters said the police have made no arrests and have investigated no crimes in Cordell in the last nine weeks.The Cordell fire department reported no fires in 20 days.
Undersheriff Gerald Kupka of the Washita county sheriff’s office reports no investigations in the last two weeks.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has seen action, however, investigating three minor accidents in three weeks.
A car driven by Leslie Scott Day, 16, of Cordell ran off county road Saturday afternoon, Sept. 12, and into a ditch about 2-1/2 miles south of Cordell, She suffered a cut above one eye while her passenger, David Skaggs, 18, wasn’t injured, reported Patrolman Louis Speck.
A Hobart physician, Dr. Richard Shriner received superficial cuts and his car was damaged Wednesday, Sept. 16, when it ran into a ditch about a half mile south of Rocky. Patrolman Donnie Powers said the car had to be towed back to Hobart.
A Jeep, driven by David Owen DeWald of Amarillo, Texas, ran off highway 152 about four miles west of Cordell Friday,Sept. 18. DeWald was uninjured but his wife bumped her head, said Powers.
Good rains in county help crops, pastures
Washita county fared well in the general rains that fell over Oklahoma this week.
Local Observer Harlan R, Hinds reported the moisture in Cordell amounted to 1.45 inches.
The showers that began early Tuesday and continued into Tuesday night provided sufficient moisture for planting of small grain crops throughout the country.
Some wheat growers have already planted their grain, but many others were waiting for moisture. Some small grains, planted after recent showers have come up. These will be greatly benefited by the goodraíns this week.
The county rainfall was slow and steady, soaking into the ground and providing the maximum benefit so far as pastures and crops are concerned.
Heavy showers are needed to provide. Runoff water for stock ponds, depleted during the summer drought.
Flash flooding resulted in some state areas from heavy rainfall this week. Oklahoma City reported nearly eight inches of rain, and Norman was waterlogged with nine inches. Places in central and eastern Oklahoma with four or more inches of rain were numerous.
Showers that fell over much of the state last week resulted in noticeable improvement in pasture condition, Pasture and range condition for the week ending Sept. 21 was rated as nearly four-fifths fair or better, compared with only three-fifths the preceding week, according to the Oklahoma Crop Weather Bulletin.
Cotton maturity 1s reported sharply ahead of last year with about two-fifths of the cotton bolls open over the state. Cotton prospects, however, continued mostly poor.
Peanut prospects continued to improve with nearly oneratedhalf of the too good and two-fifths fair.
Wednesday, September 20, 1995
Ainsworth To Lead Pocket Park Project; P.D. Will Be Moved Within Sixty Days
Cordell’s Bo Ainsworth was approved by the Cordell City Council Monday night to be the team leader in installing the future “pocket park” in down-town Cordell.
Ainsworth, who works for both the Cordell Water Department and the Cordell Police Department, was suggested for the position by City Administrator David Fuqua.
Mayor Phil Kliewer said he expects construction on the park to begin within two weeks. He said the best way to get projects completed is to have managers in charge of each undertaking.
Ward 2 Councilman Steve Craig volunteered to manage the Police Department’s renovation project. The Cordell officers are moving across the square to a new building that was purchased last month. Craig, who oversaw the building acquisition, will now oversee its renovation.
He said the preparations inside the building are sensitive to its historic past. He also said he expects Chief Gary Coburn and company to be into the new site within 60 days.
The students of Cordell High School recently had the opportunity to vote for mayor and city council members. As part of the US Government curriculum, the school’s general population elected the officials to voice the opinions of the school’s student body during public city meetings.
The position of Mayor was won by Alicia Cannon, while the council will be comprised of Tate Cunningham, Mandy Profitt, Sara Bryant and Melissa Wesner. As officers the students will attend Cordell City Council meetings, which they got a taste of Monday night on a relatively slow evening for the council. The new junior delegation will participate on votes and discussion items brought before the governing body. (there will be a non-binding vote.)
Zonelle Rainbolt, the teacher who organized the junior council, said she hopes the experiment will get young people involved with city government, so that when they are adults,they will continue an interest in local policy making.
By having a hand in the city council, Rainbolt says the students see the opportunity to “get involved and change things that are important to them.” She added involvement with the Cordell council will show students how to go about fixing problems with governments. The new council members had to campaign, which included making posters to attract votes.
“If you don’t vote, you can’t gripe,” Rainbolt said.
She stressed the importance of the vote and the voting process to her students. Washita County Election Board Secretary June Wesner showed the classes how to mark ballots and even allowed the school to use a county vote counter for the election. Wesner also registered students 18-years-old for future elections - city,county, state and national.
Cordell Mayor Phil Kliewer loves The idea. He said the city council will use the teens in a consultation fashion” to get different input.
On Monday he addressed the new members by saying, “We will ask your advice and perspective. This is your city and we want to hear what you have to say.”
Cliff Corbin, a Cordell city councilman, likes the youth participation.”Kids complain about being misunderstood, and here’s a chance for them to speak out,” he said.
Kliewer said Cordell’s trend setting idea was praised at a recent National Main Street meeting, where other communities asked how to start a similar program.
The Cordell Board of Education expressed it would also be willing to have junior members participate in their meetings.
Rainbolt teaches two sections of U.S. Government, which is open to Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. Aspart of the class, the students are required to volunteer for three hours of community service in Cordell. However, she said most of the students are going above and beyond what is required.