In this issue:

Trash routes amended this week for Good Friday holiday

Most City of Bartlesville offices will be closed Friday, March 30, for Good Friday. Friday trash routes will be serviced on Wednesday, March 28, this week due to the holiday …

Operation Clean House 2018 set for April 21

Event provides 2 drop-off points for hazardous waste disposal

Operation Clean House — a free, countywide event for Washington County residents to dispose of hazardous household and automotive goods without harming the environment or endangering human health — will be held this year on April 21.

Items will be accepted between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at two drop-off locations:

Phillips Parking lot

Located on Adams Boulevard just west of the railroad tracks

Items accepted at this location include electronics and hazardous household waste such as cleaners, yard care products, oil- and aerosol-based paints, pharmaceuticals and fluorescent bulbs.

Dewey Washington County District 2 barn

Located on Ninth Street two miles east of U.S. Highway 75

Items accepted include motor oil, antifreeze, automotive batteries, tires and appliances.

According to Stephanie Dingman, communications director for the Operation Clean House Committee, more than 1 million pounds of waste has been collected since the event began in 1989.

"This year marks yet another milestone for Operation Clean House. The event is celebrating the 'Million-Pound Mark' in waste collected," Dingman said. “We typically bring in a few thousand pounds of strictly hazardous material each year and last year our combined waste totals breached the million-pound mark."

To celebrate the milestone, volunteers will be providing free t-shirts to the first two vehicles of the day at each site.

"It is something to be proud of and shows just how dedicated this group and the community has been through the years," Dingman said.

Operation Clean House is an annual event run by nearly 100 volunteers, under the direction of Brian Worfolk of Phillips 66. To volunteer, sign up using the organization’s volunteer form by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OperationCleanHouse2018 or contact Volunteer Director Liz Brittian at 918-977-4795.

Operation Clean House is made possible thanks to several local organizations, including Phillips 66, ConocoPhillips, ChevronPhillips, City of Bartlesville, Washington County, Bartlesville Community Foundation, Walmart Distribution Center, Walmart Store, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Delaware Tribe, Dink’s BBQ, KWON, CableOne, Cunningham Graphics and Truity Credit Union.

For more information about the event and for a list of items accepted for recycling or disposal, see Operation Clean House Washington County or contact the Washington County Commissioners at 918-534-1170.

Lee Lake no longer leaking; rain event needed to fill former borrow pit

By Kelli Williams

What is going on with Lee Lake? Is it still leaking? Why isn't it filling up?

The leak at Lee Lake, located on Adams Boulevard east of Silver Lake Road, was fixed in November 2017. City Beat readers may recall there was a leak in a concrete pipe that was intended to allow for the lake to be drained (if it ever needed to be) and for draining overflow from the lake.  For details about the leak, see  Lee Lake Leak Work  .

Since the leak was repaired, several people have expressed concern that the lake may still be leaking due to the visibly low water levels. However, according to Director of Engineering Micah Siemers, the lake is checked regularly by City staff and there is no visible sign of the lake leaking.

"I believe the repair has worked and the pond level is getting lower due to dry conditions," Siemers said this week. "Unfortunately, this pond does not have a large drainage area. It was dug as a borrow pit originally and is not located on some sort of tributary or drainage path."

Siemers said water could be pumped from the nearby creek, which is how the pond was originally filled; however, the creek currently has only a few inches of water in it and is not running, contributing to the slow fill.

In short, Siemers said, "We need a large amount of rain."

City completes discharge permit application

for Chickasaw Waste Water Treatment Plant

The City of Bartlesville recently applied to renew its waste water discharge permit for the Chickasaw Waste Water Treatment Plant — a lengthy process that is done only twice a decade and could result in additional requirements for the plant, according to Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen.

“The applications process requires a significant amount of data to be submitted to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and could result in additional requirements for our wastewater treatment process,” Lauritsen said.

Lauritsen said the ODEQ will review the information based on current regulations and make a determination.

“They will either renew our current permit or add more requirements,” he said.

Lauritsen said the last renewal was in 2013.

The Chickasaw Waste Water Treatment Plant is located at 230 N. Chickasaw. An annual average of 7.314 million gallons of water are treated at the plant per day, with the lowest monthly average of 5.327 million gallons per day and the highest average use, typically during peak summer months, at 12.511 million gallons per day.

Part of the application process requires the application to be posted on the City’s website. See  2018 WWTP Permit Application  to view the entire application.

Friday trash routes amended this week

Most City of Bartlesville offices will be closed Friday, March 30, for Good Friday. Friday trash routes will be serviced on Wednesday, March 28, this week due to the holiday.

Trash must be in place for pick-up no later than 6 a.m. on Wednesday to be collected this week.

Police and fire services will continue as normally scheduled, with no interruptions. City offices will re-open and services will resume as normally scheduled on Monday, April 2.

Sooner Junior to open for season next month

Sooner Junior Miniature Golf Course in Sooner Park will open for the season next month.

The course is set to open at 6 p.m. on April 29. It will then be open 6-10 p.m. every day until Sept. 1.

Sooner Junior is operated by the Kiwanis Club of Bartlesville.

Weekday specials include Family Night on Mondays, BOGO on Tuesdays and Unlimited Play on Thursdays. Prices are $5 for adults, $4 for students, $3 for youth ages 6-12, $1 for children ages 0-5 and $30 for a 10-game pass.

For more information call 918.331.2131.

Registration underway for library’s annual LEGO Creation Contest

Registration is underway at the Bartlesville Public Library’s Youth Services Department for the annual LEGO Creation Contest, Youth Services Librarian Laura Pryce said this week.

The contest is free, and participants will be divided into three age groups: Kindergarten through fourth grade, fifth grade through eighth grade, and ninth grade through adult.

First, second and third place winners will be awarded in each category with one overall grand prize being awarded. Winners will receive LEGO products and ribbons.

Contestants will build their LEGO creations at home using their own LEGOs, abiding by the rules and criteria noted on the registration form. They will then drop off their entries at the upstairs meeting room of the library between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 28.

The room will be closed at 11 a.m. to allow judging to take place. Judging the contest will be John Dunn of Ambler Architects, Eric Randall of Tri-County Tech and George Halkiades, retired engineer and facilitator of local FIRST Robotics Team 2165.

“We are extremely grateful to these professionals who are willing to lend their knowledge and expertise to the evaluation of the contest entries,” said Pryce. “Our judges each year bring a discerning eye and an enthusiastic attitude to the job.”

Public viewing will begin that same day at 1 p.m., with awards being presented soon after. Winning entries will be shown in the library’s lobby display case throughout the first week of May.

“Novices and experts are both welcome to participate,” said Pryce. “We encourage everyone to try and to be confident, no matter their skill level.”

To register, come by the Youth Services Desk at the Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave. in downtown Bartlesville, or call 918-338-4170 for more information.

City Recycling Center do's and don'ts

(Editor's note: Corrections were made to this story on April 2, 2018, post-publication, regarding the allowance of pasteboard.)

With the warmer weather bringing more people out to the City of Bartlesville’s Recycling Center in recent weeks, Public Works Director Keith Henry is reminding users that following a few simple rules will help make recycling easier for everyone.

“We have seen an escalation of trash and other items that aren’t permitted being dumped at the center, and it’s creating a problem — not only for City staff but for others who want to bring their recyclables to the center,” Henry said.

The City of Bartlesville provides a drop-off Recycling Center, located on 10 ^th Street east of Virginia Avenue, for residents who want to recycle. The center is open 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6:30 a.m. until noon on Saturday.

Items permitted at the center are:

* Cardboard boxes must be flattened or cut into 3X3-foot pieces.

Items not permitted include:

Henry said some people have questioned why glass is not permitted at the center.

“The City’s vendor for recyclables, Tulsa Recycle & Transfer of Tulsa, does not accept glass; therefore, we can’t accept it at the center,” he said.

Henry offers a few simple tips that can minimize issues for City staff and make the process more enjoyable for everyone.

“The Recycling Center is very popular with our citizens who want to recycle,” Henry said. “We just need everyone to be aware of the things they can do to help keep the center operational and running efficiently for everyone.”

To report problems or for more information, contact the Public Works Department at 918-338-4131. Information is also available on the City’s website, www.cityofbartlesville.org.

Photos by S. Albert

Above: Native plants such as crownbeard that bloom during the fall migration provide nectar for monarchs. Below: Monarch waystations provide host and nectar plants for monarchs and other pollinators. 

Local forum to teach monarch conservation

Declining monarch butterfly populations have prompted many national organizations, cities and concerned citizens to pledge to save the monarch by increasing its habitat and educating others about how they can make a difference.

A Monarch Forum, sponsored by the Bartlesville Mayors for Monarchs and the Bartlesville Council of Garden Clubs, will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. April 12 at the Bartlesville Public Library. Two speakers will educate the public on the many risks facing monarchs today, and how to create a garden that will help perpetuate monarchs as well as other butterflies. Networking and viewing table exhibits begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7 p.m.

Kloma Laws, who represents Mayors for Monarchs and the local garden council, invites the public to join them in learning more about the threatened monarch migration.

Dr. Kristen Baum, professor at the Department of Integrative Biology at Oklahoma State University, will talk about monarch butterfly research and how people can help. She has been studying pollinators in the southern Great Plains for more than 20 years. Her current research focuses on the effects of land use and management practices on pollinators, including monarch butterflies, native bees and honey bees.

“Many recent findings about monarchs have resulted from the contributions of citizen scientists,” said Baum, who encourages participation in citizen scientist projects to support monarch conservation efforts.

Susan Albert, local butterfly enthusiast and member of the Washington County Master Gardener Association, will present how to attract butterflies to one’s own yard by creating habitat filled with specific food plants and nectar plants for a variety of butterflies, including the monarch. Learn how to provide the essential plants necessary to sustain monarchs on their journey north in the spring and south in the fall.

Monarch Watch, an educational outreach based at the University of Kansas, posted the recent Monarch Population Status from World Wildlife Fund Mexico that indicated a 14.77 percent decrease in overwintering monarch populations from the previous season. Both the eastern and western North American range shows dwindling numbers for the past decade. Factors contributing to the decline include breeding and overwintering habitat loss, climate change, pesticides and natural enemies.

In an effort to save the monarchs, multiple groups such as the National Wildlife Federation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, native plant societies, universities and many others publicized the need for monarch as well as pollinator conservation and how communities can help restore populations. Okies for Monarchs has more information on statewide projects at okiesformonarchs.org.

Locally, the Mayors for Monarchs, in partnership with the City of Bartlesville, leads the effort to spread the word about how residents can help. For more information, contact Laws at 918-213-5519.

Bartlesville Council of Garden Clubs is affiliated with Oklahoma Garden Clubs Inc.

Information provided by Susan Albert.

Crane work

Photo by Stan Peterson

The 300 block of Johnstone Avenue was closed last week to allow crane work for the placement of materials on top of the ConocoPhillips Plaza Office Building, located at 315 S. Johnstone Avenue. Work on the project is expected to continue this week, beginning at 5 p.m. this Thursday, ending on Friday. It is anticipated the road will be re-opened Saturday morning, March 31.

65th annual Spring Art Show to start April 6

The opening reception for the Bartlesville Art Associations's 65th annual Spring Art Show is set for 6:45-8 p.m. on April 6 at the Price Tower Gallery, 510 S. Dewey Ave. in Bartlesville.

Awards will be announced at 7 p.m. The show judge is Clayton J. Beck III. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

 

The art will be on display at Price Tower Gallery April 7-27. Admission to the gallery is free. A small exhibit of Beck's work will be on display from 2-4 p.m. on April 6.

For more information, see www.bartlesvilleartassociation.org.

Board, Committee & Commission Openings

The City of Bartlesville has numerous boards, committees and commissions that are driven by citizen volunteers. All citizens are encouraged and welcome to apply.

Board applications are located online and in the city manager’s office, located on the second floor of City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave. Applications are kept on file for two years. To view a complete list, see Boards, Committees & Commissions .

The City currently has the following openings:

For more information, visit the City's website, www.cityofbartlesville.org.

Job Listing

The City of Bartlesville is currently accepting applications for the following positions:

Sanitation Collector I

For an application or more information, visit the City's  website or the    Human Resources Department    , located on the second floor at City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave.

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Kelli Williams, Editor

401 S. Johnstone Ave.

Bartlesville, OK 74003

918-338-4132