Speaker 1: Good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome, welcome, welcome. It
Speaker 1: is time now for our community connection right here on
Speaker 1: Kay one, the one you trust, Kawanas. It's a busy
Speaker 1: time of year, Jim sweezey, isn't it.
Speaker 2: Good morning you sir, doing great?
Speaker 1: It is very busy for you guys.
Speaker 2: It is a busy time for sure.
Speaker 1: We got something coming up well this weekend.
Speaker 3: This weekend which you got this weekend we open our
Speaker 3: Center Junior Mini golf course.
Speaker 1: Well, there you go.
Speaker 3: A lot of people look forward to that every year
Speaker 3: and we do as well. We spend a lot of
Speaker 3: time getting it ready and always cleaning up and doing
Speaker 3: some improvements.
Speaker 2: So looking forward to the crowds.
Speaker 1: Now, I understand that we've already had some folks getting
Speaker 1: in on the preseason action. We had some private parties
Speaker 1: already breaking the course in for the rest of us.
Speaker 2: That's right right now.
Speaker 1: You've got undergone a lot of work in the last
Speaker 1: couple of years and it looks point does it ever
Speaker 1: look nice? And it plays well too.
Speaker 2: It's fun.
Speaker 1: And have you guys been did you make any additions
Speaker 1: to it this year?
Speaker 3: Well, this year we've got a project which is still
Speaker 3: under completion. It's nearing completion. But Hold sixteen, which is
Speaker 3: the hill out there with the Brooklyn Bridge going over
Speaker 3: the low spot and then up the big hill, we
Speaker 3: did some work on that. We were having trouble with
Speaker 3: some balls getting stuck inside, so we opened it up
Speaker 3: and fixed the plumbing inside and added some new features.
Speaker 3: Some new New York skyscrapers actually are going to be
Speaker 3: on the end of it at the west end, so that
Speaker 3: part is still at the paint shop, but it'll be
Speaker 3: there soon and we'll have it all put together.
Speaker 1: Man, it's going to be great now. We do this
Speaker 1: every weekend in the summertime way, that's right. In private parties, yes.
Speaker 3: Private parties all through the week day and evening, but Friday, Saturday,
Speaker 3: Sunday evenings or when our regular hours are.
Speaker 1: When it gets cooler. We don't go out there in
Speaker 1: the heat of the day, that's right. We don't want
Speaker 1: to do that. We want to make it fun so
Speaker 1: everybody will come back. Now is a fun sport for everybody.
Speaker 1: Mini golf is even more fun because you rarely lose
Speaker 1: your ball, that's true.
Speaker 2: That's true.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you don't have to go looking through the woods
Speaker 3: to find that ball that's there somewhere close.
Speaker 1: It's somewhere pretty close. But golfing and fishing, you're hitting
Speaker 1: me in my sweet spot here. Because we've got fishing
Speaker 1: derby coming up too, don't we.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: A week from Saturday is our annual fishing derby, our
Speaker 3: Kawanas Club has put on since nineteen fifty one, so
Speaker 3: we're proud to bring that again this year. And it's
Speaker 3: for the kids ages three through twelve. So there'll be
Speaker 3: three different divisions. We'll have trophies and we'll have ribbons
Speaker 3: and prizes, and everybody gets surprised. As long as they
Speaker 3: come out and have fun, they'll get a prize.
Speaker 1: Now, this is really neat because you know, the lake
Speaker 1: or the pond, depending on what you want to call it, right,
Speaker 1: really looks good. There's a lot of greenery around there,
Speaker 1: and there's a lot of water in there. We don't
Speaker 1: worry about anything too. But this has always been a
Speaker 1: good one for kids, and especially I love to look
Speaker 1: on the kids who've never fished before, right because Mike,
Speaker 1: when they actually catch one, it's like whoa.
Speaker 2: They get excited.
Speaker 3: Yeah, some of them get excited for different reasons, but
Speaker 3: just as long as they come out and have fun,
Speaker 3: that's the main thing it is. And I didn't mention
Speaker 3: where it is for those that are new in town.
Speaker 3: It is at Joe Allen Low Park on Price Road.
Speaker 3: That is just east of the traffic circle on Price Road.
Speaker 3: So it's a lot of fun to go out there
Speaker 3: and get ready for those kids and have a good time.
Speaker 3: We have boy Scouts that come out and help us
Speaker 3: measure the fish and call in on the radio and
Speaker 3: we write down the fish the sizes for those kids
Speaker 3: so we can give some nice prizes.
Speaker 1: And you know, could be told those scouts have a
Speaker 1: blast doing that.
Speaker 2: I think so.
Speaker 3: I hope they have a good time, but I know
Speaker 3: they do. Yeah, Yeah, it's a nice service for them
Speaker 3: to provide to the community. It's Troop six is who helps.
Speaker 2: Us out there.
Speaker 1: Now. Is there a get in on this?
Speaker 3: No fee for the kids, And we do ask them
Speaker 3: to bring a parent with them so they can help
Speaker 3: yea and be a chaperone for this event. But they'll
Speaker 3: be scattered all around that little pond or lake whatever
Speaker 3: we want to call it.
Speaker 1: And I just thought it pretty because it's really good
Speaker 1: looking this year.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the city's done a nice job of working on
Speaker 3: the west side of the water. They trimmed some trees
Speaker 3: up so the grass would grow. They brought in a
Speaker 3: bunch of new sod and covered up the mud holes
Speaker 3: that develop it there over the years. So all you
Speaker 3: have to do is watch out for the ducks and
Speaker 3: the mess they leave.
Speaker 1: Once you do that, you'll be at one with nature.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 1: That's really good. Now. Kawanas done so many good things.
Speaker 1: But one of the great things you do is you
Speaker 1: invest in youth. And that's pretty much it. If it
Speaker 1: has anything to do with the kids, you guys are
Speaker 1: around it. And you got a lot of scholarships.
Speaker 2: Too, that's right.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's just that that time of year too, the
Speaker 3: schools are all setting up assemblies for their end of
Speaker 3: the year activities and awards, and Kawanas gives scholarships. We
Speaker 3: raise the money through the miniature golf course and we
Speaker 3: give out scholarships. I believe it's six different schools that
Speaker 3: we give for sophomores and seniors that we give awards to.
Speaker 1: My goodness sakes. So you guys are working at working
Speaker 1: at working in order to make all that happen. Right,
Speaker 1: that's cool. Now, If anybody wants to become a member
Speaker 1: of the Quantas, is there a certain protocol.
Speaker 2: We got to do well.
Speaker 3: We don't have any strict initiation issues there, but we
Speaker 3: do ask that people are interested in their community and
Speaker 3: helping kids and other activities in the community to come
Speaker 3: and check us out. We meet at Tri County Tech
Speaker 3: every Wednesday at noon, unless the schools closed for some reason,
Speaker 3: then we find an alternate site. But actually we've adjusted
Speaker 3: our schedule a little bit. We have programs on the
Speaker 3: first and third Wednesday of each month. The other weeks
Speaker 3: we plan our projects. We do have many projects we
Speaker 3: do for the community, so we have planning sessions on
Speaker 3: those other Wednesdays.
Speaker 1: Now we think about the Quantas right here. You're so
Speaker 1: locked in with Bartleshell. And not only do we have
Speaker 1: the fishing derby. Not only have the Sooner Junior evolved,
Speaker 1: it's been a mainstay for a good long time, but
Speaker 1: we also have a couple of big holidays that we
Speaker 1: celebrate with the Quantas. That's right, Christmas and the fourth
Speaker 1: of July.
Speaker 3: Fourth of July the big Freedom Fast that we have
Speaker 3: at Sooner part and the firework display that we provide
Speaker 3: for the community, and many of the local merchants and
Speaker 3: businesses around town. They provide the money for that through
Speaker 3: their sponsorship, and we do appreciate that. Karen Wilson does
Speaker 3: a great job of working with those businesses to make
Speaker 3: sure they're in line to help us out.
Speaker 1: You know, when she comes and smiling and everything, it's
Speaker 1: hard to say no to a lady's really nice to you.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 1: I kind of understand what a caring there. You go,
Speaker 1: come on, let's go put on a show. So it
Speaker 1: really works for everybody's in good partnership, and that's really
Speaker 1: what it's all about. You know. The Christmas Parade, we
Speaker 1: do that every year too, and that's a thing gets
Speaker 1: bigger every year it is, you know, even during COVID
Speaker 1: it was big.
Speaker 3: It's a good size event and we appreciate you guys
Speaker 3: being partners on that with us.
Speaker 2: And we'd love casting that.
Speaker 1: You know, it's one of those things that we wouldn't
Speaker 1: know what to do if we weren't a part of that.
Speaker 1: We really like working with Wantas and we really like
Speaker 1: working with our community and it's just a lot of fun.
Speaker 1: There are so many folks that come out and there's
Speaker 1: hardly a fair spot along the route if there is
Speaker 1: any but the folks who might be under the weather
Speaker 1: a little bit infirmed, they get to watch it. And
Speaker 1: sometimes folks have watched it in person. We'll go home
Speaker 1: and watch it a little bit later on demand and say, yeah,
Speaker 1: I remember that one. That's pretty cool. So we got
Speaker 1: the Sooner Junior Golf coming up this Friday. Next Saturday,
Speaker 1: it's the Fishing Derby, right, you guys have a rest.
Speaker 2: We get a few times a year that we get
Speaker 2: to rest. But we enjoy it. You know. We put
Speaker 2: in several hours, but.
Speaker 3: We we enjoy it, and we have a good time
Speaker 3: out there no matter what we're doing.
Speaker 1: So you know something, Jim, I've never seen a Kawanian
Speaker 1: with a frown, so it must pay the dividends in
Speaker 1: the field good right there in the hark that's right,
Speaker 1: My goodness, How long you been with him, that guy.
Speaker 3: I've been with the club since January ninety eight, so
Speaker 3: that's a little bit.
Speaker 2: It's been a while.
Speaker 1: It must be worth your while because you're always you're
Speaker 1: always right in the thick of it, folks. If anybody
Speaker 1: knows anything about the fairways at Sooner, it's Jim here
Speaker 1: because you're the guy who goes out there and just level,
Speaker 1: put a little angle, puts a little slope. It makes
Speaker 1: makes the challenge all worth a while.
Speaker 2: That's fun.
Speaker 3: I enjoy that, and we have a big turnout every
Speaker 3: time we have a workday out there and get ready
Speaker 3: for the season. So we appreciate everybody pulling together for that.
Speaker 1: You get a lot of volunteers that say, hey, how
Speaker 1: can we help you know, we.
Speaker 3: Do get some we could always use more. There's these
Speaker 3: special events especially, but we have volunteers at work the
Speaker 3: nights that we're open there and Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and
Speaker 3: we're about to fill up our schedule I think this
Speaker 3: year for volunteers, but we always need some backups for
Speaker 3: these parties that we schedule. There's corporate events and the
Speaker 3: birthday parties and always something going on.
Speaker 1: One story I got to tell on you guys a
Speaker 1: little bit sooner. Junior golf is so popular some of
Speaker 1: the movie stars. When Kildors of the Flower Moon were
Speaker 1: in town. We're not there just once, but often it's
Speaker 1: just to blow off steam and just to have a lot. Yeah. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and it had to be a blast having the movie
Speaker 1: people over there.
Speaker 2: That was fun. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, there was one fellow there, Steve, that grew up
Speaker 3: on Long Island, New York and still lives in that area.
Speaker 3: But he had a little golf course actually next to
Speaker 3: his grandmother's house on Long Island, and they improved that
Speaker 3: and just had fun with that little nine hole course
Speaker 3: they made. So everywhere he goes, he likes to go
Speaker 3: try out the minigolf.
Speaker 1: Yeah, in Hollywood tested with a little bit of a
Speaker 1: New York accent. There we go. That's the Brooklyn Bridge
Speaker 1: right that you're working on.
Speaker 2: That's right old sixteen. And it's.
Speaker 3: The thing I'm looking forward to is when we get
Speaker 3: that wrapped up, there'll be these skyscrapers on each of
Speaker 3: the front corners and they'll have lights in them so
Speaker 3: the lights will shine out. Oh, we hope they'll give
Speaker 3: it a really fun effect.
Speaker 1: There. Nice metropolitan field. That's right. Thanks for being with
Speaker 1: us today. Sure it's the Kuanas folks. Don't forget. It
Speaker 1: is a Sooner Junior Golf this Saturday. Next Saturday, it's
Speaker 1: the Fishing Derby. We're gonna have a little story on
Speaker 1: our website and they'll tell you all about it. Okay,