There was plenty of discussion about adding more than the annual Wine & Chocolate Festival to Hennessey United’s sponsorship of community events during the board’s Thursday, May 20, meeting.

A new event, a Mexican Fiesta, chaired by member Mariana Gonzalez, was mentioned. It had to be cancelled last fall due to COVID-19.

A remake of the Hometown Hootenannies was also discussed. The last Hootenanny was in 2006 after a 14-year run because the attendance crowds were low.

They were musical and talent shows sponsored by United and usually featured local singer/guitarist Buck Goucher. They were held in the Ortman Auditorium at the public library.

That discussion came about when the board discussed the success of the Cruisin’ Oklahoma event on April 18 that brought people to Hennessey. That event was instigated and arranged by local businessman Tony Blackburn, who is a member of the statewide Cruisin’ car club.

New board member Mayor Bert Gritz said he’d like to see at least one event every quarter and the Roundup Club’s rodeos were also mentioned. Gritz now represents the town board as a United member in place of Wes Hardin, who didn’t run for re-election to the town board, but will continue as a member atlarge on the United board.

Members present at the May meeting in the Wellness Mercantile were President Stacy Cline, Secretary Cathy Howard, Scott Hajek, Kaden Mitchell, Dagan Hardin and Gonzalez. Absent were Tammy Hopkins, Teresa Oliver, Barb Walter and Wes Hardin.

Legacy Committee

United’s Legacy Committee was discussed.

Board members were told that the website is not getting the attention they’d hoped.

The foundation was started by United in an effort to allow families and HHS graduates the opportunity to give back to the town financially by supporting non-profit foundation projects, or projects of their own.

The Hennessey board selected the Cherokee Strip Foundation as the group to invest donations in the spring of 2019. Hajek and Cline, co-chairs of Legacy, suggested they contact the Cherokee Strip Foundation for help in creating a brochure and putting a link/ page on the town’s website, and maybe All About Hennessey and Brenda Bryan’s Hennessey Oklahoma History Facebook pages.

Although the United board had discussed at length the need for its own website and for Legacy for several years before they started them, they decided to discontinue both sites since they aren’t being used.

Other business

• Mitchell, who has chaired a downtown planter project for two years, said he will be getting the planters out and flowers planted. It was also noted that a few businesses have already planted some flowers.

• Howard said folding chairs are needed for United’s June 12 Barn Quilt Block Workshop in the community room at the Wellness Mercantile and the board decided to purchase 30 of them. Cline, an owner of the Mercantile, said she would order them at the same time she ordered for her business. Howard said the chairs could be used at several other United events.

• Gritz reported that playground equipment for Pat Hennessey Park is being ordered. United’s 2018-19 Leadership Class donated $4,000 and a state gas organization, including Mustang Gas, donated $5,000, he said. The town will match that amount, and possibly more, to complete the project.

The town’s money comes from a hotel/motel sales tax fund designated for uses such as the playground equipment.

The board’s next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 17, in the Wellness Mercantile.