January Tenkiller Property.com Newsletter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy New Year! January 2010

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In This Issue

-- Eagles Soar at Tenkiller & Sequoyah NWR

-- Take The Winter Bird Feeder Survey Challenge

-- Newly Designated Byway Showcases Cherokee Culture

-- Boren Secures $800,000 for Sequoyah Wildlife Refuge

-- Fishing Report

-- Team Tenkiller

-- Tenkiller New Homes

Dear George,

Lots of things are happening in the Lake Tenkiller area, and we would like to share a little of it with you. Thanks so much for being one of the 1700+ subscribers! We Love Lake Tenkiller! Celebrating a decade of service to the area.

Eagles Soar at Tenkiller & Sequoyah NWR

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upcoming Eagle and Loon Watches

Gather at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge for a brief talk about our refuge system. Then we will caravan through the refuge to view our nation's symbol. There are active nests on the refuge and we will get to view them through our scopes. Then in the afternoon come to Tenkiller State Park to see the fabled birds of " On Golden Pond," We have been privileged to host four of the five species of Loons found in North America here at Lake Tenkiller. Come visit with the naturalist and meet some of our local Audubon members and the refuge staff as we observe these beautiful birds. .
Dates (Sat) Jan. 8, 23, Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Time Eagle Watch 9 a.m. , Loon Watch 2p.m.- 4 p.m.
Meet Eagle Watch: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, Loon Watch: Tenkiller State Park at Fisherman's Point
Contact Leann Bunn (918) 489-5641,
lbunn@otrd.state.ok.us

Take The Winter Bird Feeder Survey Challenge

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Any Oklahoman with a backyard bird feeder can participate by choosing any two days between Jan. 7- 10 to count birds at their feeders and record their observations. With participants observing birds across the state for four days straight, biologists can obtain important information that can help the Department better understand bird ranges and populations.

The survey includes counting birds at backyard feeders at least four times a day for two days during the survey dates and completing a form provided by the Wildlife Department. For detailed instructions and to take the survey, log on to the Wildlife Department's Winter Bird Feeder Survey Web site at www.okwinterbirds.com has the survey period approaches. The Web site is an extensive bird- watching resource, providing information such as bird identification tips, diets, feeding behaviors and winter ranges as well as links to other birding Web sites. The site also provides detailed recipes that bird watchers can follow for making healthy, beneficial bird attractants that will draw birds to their yards.

While anyone who has a bird feeder can participate in the 2010 Winter Bird Feeder Survey, certain efforts can be made to attract more birds to feeders. Black-oil sunflower seed is a good choice for bird feeders because of its high nutritional value that birds can use during the winter and because virtually all seed-eating Oklahoma songbirds will eat it. Suet cakes, animal fat that is sometimes mixed with grains or peanut butter, are good for drawing in species such as woodpeckers and birds that do not primarily eat seeds. Finally, a source of water and cover such as brush piles or dense shrubs located near the feeders help to draw more birds.

Take on the winter bird survey challenge

Newly Designated Byway Showcases Cherokee Culture

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oklahoma is one of the top 10 states in the nation for winter eagle viewing. Each winter, as northern lakes freeze over, thousands of bald eagles migrate to warmer, southern waters. Oklahoma is especially attractive to these magnificent birds. During severe winters in the north, 750 to 1,500 eagles may gather here. A resident population of more than 100 bald eagles also lives here year-round.

See the nation's proudest living symbol, and share it with your children. Watch bald eagles soar at an Eagle Viewing Event

Kids and adults alike can enjoy a hands-on, interactive outdoor activity and help wildlife at the same time this winter by participating in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Winter Bird Feeder Survey. Providing food for wintering birds is popular in Oklahoma in both urban and rural areas, and people in both places can help the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation monitor the state's birds this winter.

By participating in the Wildlife Department's 2010 Winter Bird Feeder Survey, Oklahomans can provide food for wintering birds and enjoy close-up wildlife viewing opportunities while helping biologists monitor bird populations.

The Cherokee Nation was recently granted a National Scenic Byway certification from the National Scenic Byways Program, a department of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The tribe obtained the certification for the Cherokee Hills Byway, an 84-mile route that extends from Gore to West Siloam Springs in the Cherokee Nation.

"This certification is important because it provides another economic development tool to our communities," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "It allows the Cherokee Nation and the towns and businesses along the route to work together to share our story and bring visitors to the area."

The Cherokee Hills Byway is one of only five areas of the state certified with the America's Byways status. The others are Historic Route 66, Talimena Scenic Drive, Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway and Wichita Mountains Byway.

"As a nationally designated route, we will be able to share our story with travelers from around the nation and around the world," said Donna Tinnin, Tourism Development Specialist for the Cherokee Nation. "As visitors drive the route, they will be able to experience our Cherokee history and our culture."

Situated in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, the Cherokee Hills Byway is sure to inspire travelers to delve deeper into the theme and opportunities presented along the byway. From its breathtaking natural beauty to its rich cultural and historical background, the Cherokee Hills Byway offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy and learn about the Cherokee Nation as it was and is today. Visitors can enjoy a diversity of architecture, museums, restaurants, events, sporting activities and cultural venues year- round.

Click here for a pdf file of the entire byway

Boren Secures $800,000 for Sequoyah Wildlife Refuge

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge road. The funding was originally included in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2010 (T-HUD) which passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year. After the T-HUD bill was rolled into the Consolidated Appropriations Act of FY 2010 and passed by both the U.S. House and Senate over the weekend, the legislation now goes to the President to be signed into law.

"It is an honor to bring the necessary resources to the wildlife refuge to help complete all three phases of the road improvement project. The refuge provides an economic boost to the community of Vian and Sequoyah County by drawing tens of thousands of tourists, fishermen and women, wildlife enthusiasts, and hunters each year. I remain committed to obtaining this type of infrastructure funding for eastern Oklahoma," Boren said.

The project funding will allow for improvements to the roadway approaches to a newly replaced bridge on the refuge road. Boren previously secured funding for two other phases of improvements to the road. This funding will allow for the final phase of improvements to the refuge road and brings the total of funding Boren has secured for the road to $1.3 million. The total cost for all recent improvements on the roadway is approximately $1.8 million.

"Congressman Boren and I started working on this project together in 2005, and it is a great honor to be able to work with someone as dedicated to bringing sound, positive changes to Sequoyah County and Oklahoma," said District 2 County Commissioner Steve Carter.

Virtual Tenkiller's Sequoyah National Wildlife Walking Trails and Photographs

Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge Website

Fishing Report

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got a Tenkiller Fishing or Hunting Picture? e mail it to me george@tenkillerproperty.com

Pictured is my friend Terri, owner of Terri's Bed & Breakfast, at Six Shooter Marina with a nice crappie

Tenkiller: Elevation 1 ft. above normal and steady, water 55 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on soft bass jigs around drop-offs. Sunfish fair on worm tipped jigs at 15-20 ft. in docks. Report by Monte Brooks Cookson Village Resort.

Greenleaf: Elevation normal, water clear. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits around rocky points and creek

channels. Catfish fair on cut bait in the spillways and on bottom. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around bridges and structure. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

Webbers Falls: Elevation normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on jigs and worms in riprap and creek channels. Catfish fair on cut bait on bottom. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 18-20 ft. around brush structure and bridges. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

Lower Illinois: Elevation normal, water 50. Channel catfish good on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Trout excellent fly fishing on the surface, on roster tails at 1-2 ft. and on power bait on bottom above Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.

Lower Illinois Trout Stocking Schedule January 5, 12, 13, 19, 26, 27, 2010

Team Tenkiller

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bringing in the year 2010 allows the company to celebrate a decade of service to the area, for that we are proud and we thank you. We know you always have a choice, and we strive daily to better ourselves, in the ever-changing marketplace.

The last year has been good to our office with an 8% increase over the previous year's sales. In talking with other businesses in the lake area, most were experiencing increases with one owner sharing with me that he felt we were almost recession proof. I personally will not go that far, but Tenkiller seemed to fair well, considering other parts of the country. We do have a very unique market.

Looking back over the last decade, we all certainly had our challenges, through 9 / 11, when the World literally stopped for 90 days. The I-40 bridge collapse of 02, when at least 33% of our clientele struggled to get here for months. And the lingering recession of 08/09.

There has never been a better time to buy, with historically low interest rates, and in some cases government rebates, we have sellers ready to sell. For some reason, one of the toughest things we try and accomplish is to encourage a buyer to make that offer. You just never know what may happen.

To all of our client/customers we have served in the past, THANK YOU for giving us that opportunity and we look forward to serving the Lake Tenkiller area for decades to come. Have a Happy and Prosperous 2010.