Kathy Parker
Rick Gassaway of the Cherokee Nation spoke to Adair Chamber of Commerce about funding available from the tribe and guidelines necessary to apply.
“I’m excited about being in your
county,” Gassaway said, continuing that Mayes and Rogers counties have the lowest number of Cherokee programs in the tribal nation.
Gassaway works with non-profit capacity building programs. “This chamber is a non-profit,” he said, “and you have some built in skills, but you might need others. I help organizations learn the skills necessary to grow,” he said, such as grant writing. The goal is for an organization to become self-sustaining.
For an organization to request Cherokee Nation funding, its board of directors must be 51 percent Cherokee Blue Card citizens. The nation is willing to help all organizations because “what benefits Cherokee Nation citizens benefits all citizens. The real goal is strengthening the community,” Gassaway said. “We use self-labor to get people together. The Cherokee Nation is willing to partner with you.
“In times past we’ve rushed in too quick to help the people and we might as well thrown them a rock instead of a life preserver. Now the Cherokee nation only comes to a community if we are invited.”
President Randy Ross asked how Cherokee Nation provides road funding.
Gassaway said a portion of gas taxes and license tag sales is set aside for road projects along with federal funds.
Treasurer Mary Steiner reported the Chamber’s checking account balance is $3,258.77.
Ross said Jack Pryor has stepped in to work on the town beautification project which is in conjunction with an OSU landscape class. The next step is applying for a tree grant from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Pryor said the town must sign off on a planting agreement, then the application for the agreement will be submitted. Pryor said ODOT plans to make decisions on the grants by August.
Pryor has been looking for trees and getting
estimates. The plan is for approximately 80 trees to be planted on both sides of Highway 69 for a half mile starting at the park at the north edge of town. The proposed tree varieties include October Glory Red Maple, Eastern Red Bud and Chinese Pistache.
Diana Kennedy reported the volunteer list is full for the Country Fever Red Dirt Festival June 18-21. She said enough people have already signed up to work Rocklahoma. She said last year the Chamber made $8 an hour for workers.
Ross announced the City of Adair will have a meet and greet open house at town hall
June 27 beginning at
10 a.m. The Boy Scouts will cook hot dogs and have a flag ceremony at noon. The community is invited to meet members of the police and fire departments, city council and other city officials.
