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Admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:07:32 +0000

The City of Weatherford uses WEATHERFORD CONNECT, a mass notification platform, to stay connected with residents and provide direction to the community in an efficient, timely manner.

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40th ANNUAL SWOSU RODEO STARTS THURSDAY, April 12

jamie — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:59:07 +0000

Many of the nation’s top collegiate cowboys and cowgirls will compete in the 40th Annual Southwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo which begins its three-day run Thursday, April 12 at the newly renovated B.O.P. Ram Rodeo Grounds at Don Mitchell Arena. The rodeo is a sanctioned event of the Central Plains Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

A total of four performances are scheduled – Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and two on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The top 10 in each event will return for the championship go-round on Saturday night.

A special “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” performance is scheduled for Friday. Spectators as well as participants are encouraged to wear pink in support for cancer awareness.

The SWOSU rodeo draws nearly 500 cowboys and cowgirls that compete for a wide range of prizes that include money, buckles, saddles and an opportunity to qualify for the 2012 College National Finals Rodeo. Competition will be waged in nine different events that include team roping, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, breakaway roping, goat tying, barrel racing, bareback riding and bull riding.

SWOSU’s 40-member rodeo team, which is under the direction of new coach Mike Visnieski, will compete against with 22 different colleges from the Central Plains region will be represented at the event. Both SWOSU men and women’s teams are highly ranked in the regional standings and are considered one of the favorites in the event.

Members of the rodeo team practice all school year and travel to multiple competitions during the season. This semester, the team has participated in rodeos at Kansas State, Garden City, and Fort Scott.

Renowned contractor Beutler and Son Rodeo Company is scheduled to bring in the bucking stock of 30 bulls and 40 bucking horses.

Award winning announcer Monty Steuve will make his debut as the event’s public address announcer. Steuve has done a number of large-scale rode events such as the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee and the Kansas NBHA State Championships in Topeka, Kan.

Bullfighters are Aaron Ferguson and Steve Gussert will entertain the crowd with their amazing bravery and courage as the primary protectors for the event’s bull riders.

New this year will be a long list of entertainment and entertainers at the Ag Barn Expo Center which begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. A number of specialty vendors, a Cowboy Poet, goat-roping clinic, and a mechanical bull will all be a part of the activities that will take place the entire afternoon.

Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for students at the gate. SWOSU students are admitted free with ID.

Local Business Owner Advises Class on Professional Dress

jamie — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:50:17 +0000

Martha Sauer, owner of The Kloset in Historic Downtown Weatherford, has been giving presentations on professional dress to college students for years. The ladies of the 2012 SWOSU Professional Issues class recently gathered at The Kloset and learned the “dos and don’ts” of professional dress and interviewing techniques. “Martha Sauer has many years of experience in women’s attire and does an excellent job of explaining the importance of professional dress” says Professional Issues professor Patsy Parker. “This year, Martha invited SWOSU graduate Jamie Forrest to model the clothes and speak to the ladies about the importance of professional appearance.” Majors in the class included accounting, office management, public relations, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Many of these students will be released into the work force this May, and their success will rely a great deal on what they have learned throughout their experience in this class.

Mayor’s Challenge

jamie — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:03:25 +0000

In an effort to inspire community members in Weatherford and SWOSU students/employees to become more physically active, the 5^th annual Mayor’s Challenge is being held April 9-29.

Everyone is invited to participate in the program that is sponsored by the Walking for Wellness program. Eligible participants will have the opportunity to win one of five $50 drawings.

Patti Harper, co-chair of the W4W program, said participants will log their miles on the official Mayors Walking Challenge form. Exercise is not limited to walking but may include running, biking, swimming, zumba, etc. Exercise must be for fitness exercise and not part of a work or leisure activity. The completed form must be turned in at selected drop-off sites before May 1.

The link for the Walking Challenge form and rules is:

http://faculty.swosu.edu/patti.harper/Mayor5thForm.pdf

For more information about the W4W Program or how to become involved, visit the website http://www.cityofweatherford.com, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 580-774-2450, or send an email to walkinginfo@swosu.edu. Questions can also be directed to Harper at patti.harper@swosu.edu or co-chair Vicki Hatton at vicki.hatton@swosu.edu.

New Tourism Director Attends Texas Travel Show

jamie — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:41:48 +0000

New Weatherford Tourism Director, Jamie Forrest, attended her first Travel Show in Wichita Falls, TX in February. “This being my first travel show experience, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Once I arrived, I felt completely in my element!” Jamie saw over 1,000 people at the Weatherford Tourism booth.“People flocked from all over to hear about the fun, unique features and attractions in Weatherford. I could tell that my energy was rubbing off on them, and most left more excited than ever to visit Weatherford.” Many local merchants generously donated items for a Grand Prize Trip to Weatherford Giveaway. Items included a hotel stay, dining accomodations, a downtown shopping spree, tickets to 2 local museums, and other goodies. “At the beginning of the day, I unloaded boxes upon boxes of giveaways, brochures, travel guides, and information packages. At the end of the day, I left empty handed. It was a great feeling!” While there, Jamie visited with several vendors from other booths, recruiting them for our own festivals and events. Jamie has 5 more travel shows booked through June, including a Red Carpet Tour Bus Expo.

Large Conference to Visit Weatherford

jamie — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:06:59 +0000

Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s Residence Life Staff attended the 2012 Southwest Association of College and University Housing Officers (SWACUHO) Conference in College Station, Texas. While there, the staff promoted SWOSU and the Weatherford community and networked with over 400 individuals. The City of Weatherford’s Tourism Department and Chamber of Commerce provided visitor packages that were distributed at the SWACUHO Conference. The packages included small gifts and information on features, activities, attractions, hotels, and restaurants in Weatherford. Weatherford will host a Resident Assistant Conference this October. Over 450 Resident Assistants, Hall Coordinators, and Directors will gather at SWOSU and use local hotel accommodations, eat in our restaurants, and spend their free time discovering the wonders of Weatherford.

Fighting fires, public education and serving community everyday duties of Weatherford Fire Department

jamie — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:19:53 +0000

Fighting fires, public education and serving the community are all full-time responsibilities for the Weatherford Fire Department. To recognize the efforts of
Fire Departments across the country, October has been designated as National
Fire Prevention month.

According to Weatherford Fire Chief, David Wright, the Weatherford Fire Department has experienced a record number of outdoor fires this year. Due to the drought and record breaking heat, the department’s fourteen full-time fire fighters have battled 111 grass/land fires so far this year, compared to fighting an average of 105 during previous years.

Wright states the primary focus of the department is to fight fires, but he adds that
a big emphasize is placed on educating the public as much as possible about
fire prevention and how to conduct themselves in the event of a fire.

Wright, who has been with the department since 1988 and Chief for the past 7 years,
said fire prevention is a year-round focus with schools, nursing homes, local
businesses and residents. “We provide in-service training, which includes fire
drills, prevention and exit procedures. We also inspect and give away smoke
detectors to those residents who cannot purchase one themselves,” Wright said.

“With winter coming, we also want to bring to the attention of our citizens the
potential hazards of unattended space heaters,” Wright said. “This is one of the most common causes of house fires during the winter months. Residents need to pay close attention to where space heaters are placed in the home and never leave them unattended.
Space heaters should be placed away from the walls or curtains and
drapes.”

The Weatherford department currently has a Class 3 Insurance Service Organization
(ISO) rating. The rating is based on the number of personnel on duty; the training level of the personnel; the amount of water the department may allocate to a specific fire; the amount and quality of equipment that is used, including fire engines and implements. According to records, only 3.6% of all fire departments currently own a Class 3 ISO rating.

In addition, the department is preparing to move into a new $2.4 million facility.
The majority of the funding for the new fire station was made available by the
Yes! Weatherford sales tax initiative passed in 2010. Benefits of the new station
will be improved technology and updates relating to the National Fire Protection Association.

Stafford Air & Space Museum opening new Mission Control exhibit

jamie — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:09:02 +0000

Weatherford’s Stafford Air & Space Museum announces the opening of its new exhibit, Mission Control, on October 15.

According to museum Education Coordinator Tami Martyn, the exhibit is designed to be a model of a NASA mission control observation deck from the 1960’s. “This observation deck model is what was used during the Gemini and Apollo 13 missions,” Martyn
said. “We had the exhibit custom built for our museum so we could honor those NASA mission control employees who had such an important role in our nation’s space program,” she added.

“The new observation deck exhibit will be a great addition
to go with all of our other NASA artifacts and memorabilia,” Martyn said.

Although the museum is named for former Weatherford native and Astronaut Lt. General Thomas P. Stafford, who continues to strongly support the museum, the city of Weatherford has another important connection to NASA.

Martyn said that for the past 30 years, Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) has had a close relationship with NASA by providing them with numerous graduates to work in the mission control area. “Professor J.R. Pratt, a physics professor at
SWOSU, encouraged students to look at all of their career options and directed
them to NASA,” Martyn said. So, the trend began where graduates sought employment at NASA and many were accepted.

SWOSU graduates have run the gamut in regard to the type of work they have performed for mission control over the years. Many of them served as electrical engineers, flight designers, commissioned officers, and worked in the instrumentation areas.

Many of the former SWOSU students who have worked for NASA have come back to teach at their alma mater, Martyn added. “This makes our relationship with NASA, the
museum and SWOSU even more meaningful.”

The Stafford Air & Space Museum is located at 3000 Logan Road. For more information regarding the museum, visit www.staffordmuseum.com.

Weatherford Police Officers earn their Basic Police Certification

jamie — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:30:48 +0000

Two Weatherford police officers recently graduated from the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training program (CLEET), earning them their Basic Police Certification. The program is required by the State of Oklahoma and consists of over 14 weeks of training.

Sgt. Chris Ruiz, Chief Byron Cox, OfficerBryce White, Officer Austin Ellis, Capt. Louis Flowers, Lt. Josh VanDeburgh,Officer Joe Cox

The Weatherford Police Department is proud to introduce two of the newest certified officers in the State of Oklahoma.

Officers Austin Ellis and Bryce White received their “Basic Police Officer Certification” at the graduating exercises in Ada, Oklahoma, Friday September 23,2011.

“We are extremely proud of Officers Ellis and White and look forward to many years of service together,” Weatherford Police Chief Byron Cox said.

Prior to attending CLEET, the department puts recruits through a 240 hour in-house training program necessary to give the officers information needed to perform their duties. The CLEET training must be completed within six months of employment.

CLEET consists of both a classroom and skills portion. In the classroom, the officers study criminal law, laws of arrest and ethics, among others. The skills portion covers such things as first aid, firearms and driving techniques.

As its name suggests, “basic” training teaches the officers fundamental skills. They will also continue their training to obtain intermediate and advanced levels of certification, which can take several years to accomplish.

No matter what level of certification the officers strive to obtain, there is no substitute for training on the job and in the classroom. Officers in Weatherford average 40-50 hours of advanced training a year.

“We feel that the better trained an officer is, the more professional,” Chief Cox said. “Time and knowledge is the basis for advancing certifications, and they deserve recognition for what they have accomplished.”

Stafford Air & Space Museum named Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution

jamie — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:59:01 +0000

The Stafford Air & Space Museum recently joined the Oklahoma Museum of History and the Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, as an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Along with the esteem of becoming a Smithsonian Affiliate follow many perks.

The Stafford Museum now has access to Smithsonian artifacts and traveling exhibits. Tami Martyn, the museum’s Executive Director, explained, “collections from the Smithsonian Museums will be brought to the Stafford Air & Space Museum to allow our more than 25,000 visitors a year access to national treasures.”

For the museum this means development opportunities through co-branding with the Smithsonian Institution. Utilizing Smithsonian expertise and attending Affiliate only trainings will help the Museum enhance learning opportunities for Oklahomans.

Members of the Stafford Air & Space Museum will acquire direct benefits from the partnership, as well. Those who pay for membership to the museum will receive free admission to the long list of other Smithsonian Institution Affiliates throughout the country.

Martyn attributes the alliance to the combined efforts of the Stafford Air & Space Museum and the Smithsonian Affiliates program, which has extended the relationship the Stafford Museum has enjoyed with the National Air and Space Museum. “The Museum has great support and references from current Affiliates at the Oklahoma History Center, Science Museum Oklahoma and the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center,” Martyn said.

The Stafford Air & Space Museum is named after Weatherford native, Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, a flight pioneer who took four space flights. Exhibits about aviation, space exploration and rocketry, as well as a collection of over 20 historic aircraft make up the museum.

The museum is located on the Stafford Airport grounds along the I-40 Service Road on the east side of Weatherford.

For more information about the Stafford Air & Space Museum, visit their website at http://www.staffordmuseum.com. You can also learn more about the Smithsonian Affiliations program by going to their website at www.affiliations.si.edu.