Boiling Springs State Park Grand Reopening

I was excited to see this email from my client the Woodward Tourism and Convention Bureau. I hope to make the event, and bring back a report.

Grand Re-Opening: Spring Box - Boiling Springs State Park

The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department along with the Woodward Tourism and Convention Bureau invite you to attend the grand re-opening of the Spring Box.

Where: Boiling Springs State Park
When: 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 1

Hardy Watkins, Executive Director of OTRD, and other state and local park officials will be on hand for the dedication ceremony.

Please RSVP to Leslie Blair at Leslie.Blair@OklaTourism.gov by Monday, August 30.

About the Spring Box Renovation
Boiling Springs State Park is named for one of the several natural springs in the park. At one time, these springs had the appearance of “boiling” as the sandy-bottomed spring was churned with the strong inflow of subsurface water.

The Spring Box is the structure that surrounds the spring and allows people to see the spring boil. The Spring Box renovation includes a new cedar log shelter and flagstone paving. The area was also landscaped with new planting beds, reflecting pond, and stream bed. Boiling Springs is one of Oklahoma’s original seven state parks and was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. The renovation of the Spring Box and surrounding areas uses materials and designs that are similar to the construction style of the CCC.

The renovation also includes interpretive signage that was developed to help the public better understand the history of the park, the geology and hydrology of the spring and the flora and fauna in the area. The parking areas, sidewalks, and viewing area were redesigned to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. This is the first major renovation of the spring area since the 1950’s. The cost of the project was approximately $785,000.

There are many other improvements that have been taking place at Boiling Springs over the past several years. There are five new playgroups located throughout the park, a new comfort station, improvements to the group camp, and a new park maintenance barn. Currently renovations to the pool bathhouse and an additional comfort station are underway. The total cost of the renovations at Boiling Spring is more than $2.3 million and comes from the Capital Improvement Fund.

Boiling Springs State Park is located one mile North of Woodward on State Highway 34, then 5 miles East on State Highway 34C.

Sunset bridge

South Sioux City, Nebraska

The best leadership speech

Dr. Ken Jones, Lubbock Christian University, gave the best leadership speech I've heard in a long time at the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus Conference in Lubbock today. Here are my notes I made at the time. It won't convey the warmth and humanity he poured into it, but I still wanted to share it.

Good leaders always seem to wear a smile, and with that smile they are always encouraging people.

I've watched people who do leadership harshly, and it just doesn't work.

He once opened his check for a speech, and thought, "it wasn't that good. I sent part of it back. I didn't send all of it back, it wasn't that bad!"

I have some insecurities. Does that surprise you? You have some, too, by the way.

People need encouragement.

Emotional well being. Give too much, too private, with a wall around you. You are going to wither away inside. Here's how you fix it: Find two people (or 3) who are safe (won't tell anyone else). One where you work, one outside. Not your spouse. You're unloading on them and killing them.

Work is not always going to be fun. There are going to be thorns and thistles. It may look greener somewhere else, but there will still be the same thing.

Great leaders are able to identify obstacles to the vision and get rid of them.

If you can't do leadership at home, don't try it at work.

Only 15% of people are truly goal oriented. The rest are problem solvers.

So pick the vision, then find the problems and the obstacles in the way. Remove the obstacles and the vision comes true.

There will always be problems, but keep removing the problems.

Keep encouraging the best you know how, take better care of yourself than you have in a long long time, and keep removing the obstacles.

Promised his grandfather at 94, that he would keep talking to people like this, and he is keeping his promise.

Sunflowers poll

Which orientation do you like better?

From the rooftop

Looking down on Oklahoma City, after sunset.