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Covering Sand Springs, Sapulpa and West Tulsa
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Wednesday, May 25, 2005
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www.tulsaworld.com
Third Tuesday at the
Triangle concert series kicks
off in Sand Springs.
Please go to Page 2
Tickling
the ivories
reach the Community World at: Westside@tulsaworld.com p 665-8093 f 665-8578 w www.tulsaworld.com
M
AISHAH
E
NGLISH
World Staff Writer
Sandi and Randy Dittmann said
they did not realize what they
were getting into when they
began renovating the Cedar Rock
Inn at 4347 W. 41st St. seven years
ago to open a bed and breakfast.
The Dittmanns purchased the
historic home in 1998 and began
the renovations that included gut-
ting and relocating walls in the
structure, once the home of
Tecumseh Perryman, a member
of the Creek Nation and part of
the Perryman family that founded
Tulsa.
The couple continues to put the
final touches to Cedar Rock Inn
for its July 1 grand opening.
The bed and breakfast sits on
the 45-acre Redberry Farm and is
surrounded by walking trails,
sprawling trees, a pond and a
wilderness area.
With time, attention to detail
and a small team of craftsmen, the
Dittmanns held onto the original
sandstone structure and expand-
ed it to about 5,000 square feet.
“We really did not know what
we were getting into at the time.
The house had gone into a lot of
disrepair,” Sandi said. “But seven
years later, we are excited to see
the fruits of our labor.”
The inn’s dining room now sits
in what was the once the driveway
of the home. The original home
was made into a guest registra-
tion and sitting area and the old
kitchen into a gift shop.
In keeping with the cozy atmos-
phere expected at a bed and
breakfast, the Dittmanns will
keep the staf f to a minimum and
have hired longtime friend Tim
Van Maren to manage the inn.
“He is high energy, great for
entertaining and ver y person-
able,” Sandi said.
Van Maren will also double as
cook, preparing breakfast fare
including French toast, fresh fruit
and pancakes drizzled with
Dittmann’s Syrup, which guests
can also purchase in the gift shop.
“We will have something dif fer-
ent ever y day. There will also be
snacks available for guests at all
times and soda and bottled
water,” Van Maren said. “We’ll
also set up picnics on the grounds
for those who want to stay over a
weekend.”
While Van Maren will oversee
most of the day to day operations,
the Dittmanns can drop in at ease,
living in a home they renovated in
the 1980s that sits next door to
the inn.
Before the of ficial launch of the
business on Independence Day
weekend, the Dittmanns will have
several couples stay for a week-
end in what they call a soft open-
ing.
“This will give us a chance to
see how everything goes before
we open for business July 1,” said
Sandi Dittmann.
Guests can book one of the five
suites, or reserve the entire inn if
they choose. They are free to visit
the inn’s common areas, which
B
Y
K
RISTINA
D
UDLEY
World Staff Writer
At one time, it was considered to
be a national showplace for the
Angus breed of cattle.
Buyers would come from all
across the United States and even
some foreign countries to cast their
lots for Angus cattle sold at the
Angus Valley Farm.
In the near future, the former
farm will once again be the site of
activity when hundreds of homes
are erected in the Angus Valley
Farm housing addition.
Concept Builders, 1951 E. 10th St.
in Sand Springs, is developing the
addition located at West 55th street
and 129th West Avenue in south
Sand Springs.
Phase I features 126 lots with four
phases scheduled for completion.
Sand Springs City Planner Jim
Dunlap said the development is a
positive thing for Sand Springs.
“It’s a good thing. He’s a develop-
er with a good track record. Most
people see it as a positive thing,”
Dunlap said.
Developer Toby Powell said 600
homes are expected to be built at
Cedar Rock bed and breakfast to open July 1
B
Y
M
IKE
A
VERILL
World Staff writer
Sand Springs Community Services is
planning to expand its reach to provide
education to those it assists.
Michelle Bonicelli, the agency’s new
director, believes this will help people so
they don’t have to come back for future
aid.
“The idea is to keep people out of the
cycles of dependency,” Bonicelli said. “We
want to teach them to stretch their dollars
more ef ficiently so they don’t need assis-
tance. In the long run this will create a
better life for them and their families.”
Planned classes include budgeting,
nutrition, parenting and child develop-
ment as well as basic life skills.
Most the concepts are similar to what
Bonicelli taught at her previous job as a
family and consumer sciences teacher at
Webster High School.
One of the goals of the education focus
is to encourage independence.
“We know it’s a cycle. If they learn to be
self-sufficient, their kids will too. If they
are raised in a home where seeking help
is common, unfortunately the kids will
think it’s normal,” Bonicelli said.
“However you raise your kids they’ll
raise their kids. They need to figure out
how to manage their lifestyle to live on
their own and model that behavior for
their kids.”
Judy Treat, board member, agreed that
focusing on education should provide
people with the necessary life skills need-
ed to achieve independence.
“Being independent is truly what these
people would prefer. They just don’t
always have the tools or knowledge to
achieve that,” she said.
“Those who have grown up in a home
with struggling parents only see the
struggle. If we can arm them with a dif-
ferent approach, they’ll have something
different to guide them in the future.”
Bonicelli, who graduated from
Oklahoma State University with a major
in community ser vices and a minor in
child development, also plans on provid-
ing a summer program for children as
well as continuing the agency’s back-to-
school clothing
voucher and school
supplies programs.
“Every child needs
to feel confident on
the first day of
school. Otherwise
it’s not a good way to
start of f the year as
far as self-worth,” she
said. “Having a new
outfit on the first day
of school star ts
everyone out on the
right foot.”
The agency is having a dinner auction 6
p.m. July 9, at First Presbyterian Church
in Sand Springs to raise money for the
back-to-school programs.
Bonicelli also said it’s important to
work with other area agencies.
“There are all kinds of ways we could
work together,” she said. “If we all work
together, maybe we can get more people
involved.”
Sand Springs Community Services pro-
vides assistance with food and clothing as
well as emergency assistance with utili-
ties, rent and prescriptions.
The agency will provide $50 for utilities
and $100 for rent once a year.
For more information, contact the
agency at 245-5183.
412
412
64
64
51
51
97
97
97
41st St.
10th St.
61st St.
56th St.
71st St.
River
City
Park
Chandler
Park
51st St.
51
75
44
Tulsa County
20
44
169
412
64
75
N
Tulsa World
Shown
above
Sand
Springs
Angus
Valley
Farms
Location
MAISHAH ENGLISH / Tulsa World
Proprietors Randy and Sandi Dittmann spent the last seven years
renovating the Cedar Rock Inn, a historic building that was once the
home of Tecumseh Perryman, member of the Creek Nation and part
of the Perryman family that founded Tulsa.
SEE INN PAGE 6
Bingo hall dow
n to its last call
A. CUERVO / Tulsa World
Jan Rogers holds up a winning bingo card Thursday night. She and her husband Shane Rogers (right) have been coming regularly for about two years. Although
the IICOT Bingo hall in West Tulsa is declining in membership, it continues to donate funding to powwows at Expo Square.
IICOT holds on as attendance dwindles, powwow funding threatened
B
Y
K
RISTINA
D
UDLEY
World Staff Writer
The Intertribal Indian Club of Tulsa is in danger of
losing its Town West bingo hall, which could lead to
a significant decrease in funding for the popular
Powwow of Champions at Expo Square.
The IICOT Bingo Hall, 5610 W. Skelly Drive, has
entertained clients for at least 26 years, but the lure
of new and bigger casinos is taking away needed cus-
tomers to operate the small bingo hall. Profits from
the bingo hall paid for the Expo Square powwow,
which drew thousands to Tulsa.
“We know casinos are taking a lot of players. But
we also know casinos did away with bingo and we
thought that would help us. So far, it hasn’t proven
true,” said Dolletta Blalock, president of IICOT.
Blalock said with the expense of renting Expo
Square, IICOT only breaks even ever y year,
although 25,000 to 30,000 attend the event.
Blalock said the IICOT executive committee plans
to meet in July to review its budget.
“If we fall too far behind we can’t host the dance,”
Blalock said.
Member Gloria Fortney said it’s no surprise that
attendance at small bingo halls has dwindled.
“Once the casinos started it was inevitable that lit-
tle bingo places would suf fer their share. Hopefully
the newness will wear off,” Fortney said.
The IICOT membership is open to anyone.
“You don’t have to be Indian. It’s our belief you can
SEE BINGO PAGE 6
Developer
converts
historic
farm land
SEE ANGUS PAGE 5
Sand Springs Community Services planning to teach life skills classes
Bonicelli
Mike Averill 665-8093
mike.averill@tulsaworld.com