Eight Hennessey service organizations, and the Hennessey Public Schools 2022 Teachers of the Year will be honored at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Ortman Auditorium at the Hennessey Public Library.

The event is sponsored by the Hennessey United Association and everyone is invited. A reception in The Brick will follow the program.

Honorees

Organizations that will be honoring a member or another community volunteer or leader will be: Child Study Club, Community Action Team, Friends of the Library, Golden Eagles, Lions Club, Ministerial Alliance, Powder & String Club, and United.

Teachers of the Year to be honored are Doren Winn, district and Early Childhood Center/elementary school winner; Lezlie Hardin, middle school, and Amy Shelite, high school.

Miss Oklahoma USA attending

Miss Oklahoma USA 2022 Ashley Ehrhart will be a special guest at the event. She was chosen for that title in March in Oklahoma City.

Ehrhart is the daughter of Sherry (Hutchinson) Ehrhart, a 1981 HHS grad.

Other guests

Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, and Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, have been invited. Dobrinski said the legislature will be in session Thursday and Friday, but he will make every effort to be in Hennessey that evening.

Hall responded that it would be doubtful he could attend due to closing of session this week.

Ramon Renteria with Travel Oklahoma also plans to attend. He is a 1996 HHS graduate.

United Board

United’s president, Stacy Cline, will emcee the event that is chaired by Cathy Howard, United’s secretary.

Other United officers and board members are Vice President Teresa Oliver, Treasurer Tammy Lott-Hopkins, Bert Gritz, Scott Hajek, Dagan Hardin, Wes Hardin, Kaden Mitchell, Barb Walter, and Ashland Crites (student representative).

Board meeting Thursday night

Plans for the event were finalized at the board’s April 21 meeting, when they also decided on their honorees.

They were told that the board’s May meeting will be held after the awards program and reception.

Oct. 1 Wine & Chocolate Festival

This year’s Wine & Chocolate Festival will be Sat., Oct. 1 at Memorial Park.

The date was tentatively decided at the board’s April meeting, but Wes Hardin, who was not at that meeting, confirmed the date works.

Both OU and OSU have away games that weekend.

There was discussion about continuing the live radio broadcast and a live band again this year due to sound conflicts.

Farmer’s Market

Cline said at last month’s meeting that last year’s Farmer’s Market was a success and it will be held again this year the last Saturday mornings in July and August.

There was also talk about having an evening event including businesses and music in conjunction with a September market.

Leadership class for HHS seniors

Walter said she was in hopes of getting $7,500 in funding for the 2022-23 fall program for high school seniors.

She said it was “iffy” if the class could continue fourth hour due to scheduling of new programs and she hoped they’d be able to have more than the 20 students last year.

The first year (2019-20) almost all seniors were in the class, she said.

Community-wide meeting

Walter said the town is still in hopes that United will have a community meeting for people to discuss their wants and needs. United (then-named Hennessey 2010) had sponsored successful meetings in 2000 and 2010. There was also discussion about who would facilitate that meeting.

Easter Egg Hunt

Since the local Lioness Club disbanded, it was decided that Hennessey United will work jointly with the Lions Club in sponsoring the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Care Center treats

Oliver suggested that United continue to sponsor ice cream or soft drink treats for residents at the local care center on special occasions (Mother’s/Father’s Days, etc.) and the cost was approved.

Other discussion

No action was taken, but there was discussion about sharing profits from the Wine & Chocolate Festival with the Oklahoma Grape Council as had been done in the past.

There was no vote since Wes Hardin was absent.

It was announced that the Lions Club will have a Fourth of July barbecue or ice cream social, or some other event at the town’s aquatic center.

There will be a free swim that day, Gritz said.

It was later announced there will be cardboard boat races in the pool after it’s closed to the public that evening.